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THE 


DIARY  OF  JOHN  ALLEN 


"\ f/ 1^-  !7" 


DUKE 
UNIVERSITY 


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Leaves  from  the  Past 


\  v 


THE  DIARY  OF  JOHN  ALLEN 

Sometime  Brewer  of  Wapping 
(1757— l8oS) 

WRITTEN   BETWEEN  FEBRUARY  AND  JL'LV,  IJ'JJ 


EDITED  BY  HIS  GREAT-GRANDSON 

CLEMENT    YOUXG    STURGE.  ALA 

Barfister-at-Law  of  the  Inner  Temple 


Bristol 

J.  W.  Arrowsmith,  Quay  Street 
London 

Simpkin.  Marshall,  Hamilton,  Kent  &  Company  Limited 


1905 


"Cbc  trivial  rounc,  tbe  common  task, 
^oulo  furnish  all  we  oucjbt  to  ash/7 

Keble.  Christian  Year,  1827. 


DEDICATED 

to  all  Students  of  History 
who  love  the  Past 
and  have  hope  m  the  Future, 

And    herein  especially 
To  Mv  Cousin, 

PERCY    STAFFORD    ALLEN,  M.A 

of  Corpus  Christi  College,  Oxon., 
whose  enthusiasm  stirred  me 
to  this  lifile  effort. 


PREFACE. 


"What  shadows  we  are,  and  what  shadows  we  pursue," 
said  Burke  a  century  and  more  ago,  and  yet  how  alluring 
is  sometimes  the  pursuit  of  shadows  !  Turning  over  the 
yellow  pages  of  some  long -buried,  time-worn  human 
document  of  the  past,  we  seem  to  tread  the  gravel  of 
some  ancient  avenue  of  lime  trees  planted  in  some  old- 
world  college  garden  while  yet  Charles  the  First  was 
king.  A  shadow  here  and  a  gloom  there  are  flecked 
and  chequered  with  little  flickering  squares  and  diamonds 
of  golden  light,  so  fleeting  yet  so  vivid !  Such  is  this 
simple,  unpretending  story  of  one  long  lost  to  men,  who 
lived  his  life,  and  took  his  narrow  fill  of  love  and  pain 
and  passion  long  ago,  now  reverently  given  for  the  first 
time  to  his  children's  children  and  their  children  after 
them.  So  trivial  then,  so  commonplace,  and  yet  so 
priceless  now !  As  we  dispassionately  turn  the  pages 
one  by  one,  the  past  for  a  brief  moment  is  re-peopled  for 
us,  and  lives  again.  It  is  gone  beyond  recall.  Yet  we 
know  that  it  once  was,  and  that  to  the  men  and  women 
who  bore  their  little  part  in  it,  what  we  call  the  past  was 
as  real,  as  human,  as  palpitating  and  absorbing  as  the 
life  of  every  one  of  us  seems  to  us  to-day.  It  is  so 
difficult  to  realise  our  individual  insignificance ;  yet  the 


PREFACE. 


dark  shadow  of  eclipse  is  over  us  all,  and  we  know  that 
to  the  men  and  women  of  another  age  we  ourselves 
shall  appear  just  so  many  blurred  and  faded  silhouettes 
as  these  good  people  of  a  century  and  more  ago  appear 
to  us.  It  has  been  truly  said  that  in  all  but  the  rarest 
cases  no  man  survives  as  a  living  memory  beyond  the 
second  generation.  All  knowledge  of  him  perishes  with 
those  who  knew  the  touch  of  his  hand,  the  tone  of  his 
voice,  the  light  in  his  eyes.  He  must  have  had  a 
singularly  potent  personality,  for  good  or  ill,  who  in 
private  life  could  hope  to  surmount  this  test.  It  is 
related  of  one  of  my  paternal  ancestors  that  he  was  a 
martyr  to  rheumatic  gout,  and  was  "  a  very  peevish 
man,"  and  of  a  good  lady  frequently  mentioned  in  this 
diary,  long  since  gone  to  her  rest  in  very  advanced  old 
age — we  will  not  pillory  her  by  name  now  when  her 
tongue  has  so  long  been  silent  in  the  grave — that  she 
was  "  a  regular  old-fashioned  scold.'"  What  a  fate !  To 
go  down  to  posterity  simply  as  "a  very  peevish  man"! 
His  loves  and  hates,  his  good  deeds  and  bad,  his  days 
of  strenuous  labour  and  disheartening  struggle,  his 
failures  and  successes,  all  forgotten  in  that  one  painful 
personal,  ignominious  trait ! 

All  the  greater,  therefore,  is  our  gratitude  to  those 
whose  piety  has  preserved  for  us  these  few  Sibylline 
leaves,  dashed  off  almost  at  random,  and  left  to  flutter 
down  the  avenues  of  time  where  chance  and  the  wind 
might  carry  them.  They  have  lain  so  long  forgotten 
and  unnoted  that  all  have  passed  away  who,  of  their 
own  knowledge  or  by  immediate  tradition,  could  have 
told  us  what  we  long  so  much  to  know  about  the  origin 
and  subsequent  history  of  these  young  lives  as  they  flit 
pleasantly  and  sportively  before  us.    What,  we  ask  in 


PREFACE. 


vain,  became  of  the  lively  Constantia,  Lavinia.  Nesta, 
and  Delia,  who  trip  across  the  stage  so  lightly  for  a  few- 
months,  laughing  and  kissing  their  finger-tips  las  it 
were  towards  us  as  they  pass?  We  do  not  even  know 
their  parentage,  and  their  later  history  is  a  blank  to  us. 
What  we  know  is  that  one  William  Allen  came  to 
London  from  an  obscure  village  in  Yorkshire  to  seek 
his  fortune  about  1750:  that  a  young  woman  named 
Ann  Birkhead  handed  to  him  in  the  Strand,  outside 
the  Savoy,  a  tract  giving  notice  of  a  meeting  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  to  be  held  at  Devonshire  House,  in 
Bishopsgate  :  that  he  read  the  tract,  went  to  the 
meeting,  married  the  young  woman,  and  became  himself 
a  ■"convinced  Friend."  The  young  wife  died  two  years 
after  she  had  become  the  mother  of  John  Allen,  the 
diarist,  and  eleven  years  later  William  Allen  wedded, 
according  to  the  Quaker  rites,  one  Mary  Kendall,  the 
"'Mere'*  or  "Mother"  of  the  diary.  Were  these  lively 
girls  her  daughters  by  a  former  husband?  The  sug- 
gestion is  only  tenable  on  the  assumption  that  Marx- 
Kendall  had  been  previously  married  to  a  cousin  of  the 
same  name.  Kendall  is  known  to  have  been  her  maiden 
name,  and  she  is  described  by  that  name  in  the  register 
of  her  marriage  to  William  Allen  in  1770,  which  is 
preserved  at  Devonshire  House,  though,  strange  to 
say.  the  entry  contains  no  reference  to  the  status 
of  spinster  or  widow.  More  probably  these  young 
girls  were  the  orphaned  children  of  some  near  relative 
of  Mary  Kendall — a  brother,  perhaps — whom  William 
Allen,  with  true  Christian  kindness,  received  as  inmates 
of  his  house  on  the  familiar  footing  of  daughters  or 
nieces.  They  would  scarcely  on  any  other  supposition 
have  been  left  alone  at  Wapping  with  a  gay  young  spark 


xii 


PREFACE. 


of  nineteen,  albeit  sobered  with  a  spirit  of  Quakerly 
propriety,  during  the  driving  trip  into  Yorkshire  to  visit 
"father's  aged  parents."  No  wonder  that  kindly  uncles 
looked  in  from  time  to  time  "  to  see  how  we  fared." 
The  diary,  alas !  ends  abruptly  in  the  middle  of  July, 
and  any  remaining  sheets  there  may  have  been  must 
long  since  have  found  their  way  between  the  bars  of 
Wapping  fire-grates.  Father  and  mother,  for  aught  we 
know,  may  still  be  attending  ghostly  Quarterly  Meetings 
at  York,  or  resting  with  aged  parents  at  Thorpe  Salvin ; 
grandmother  is  drinking  tea  at  her  Cousin  Satterthwaite's  ; 
Delia  is  working  samplers  at  her  school  at  Godalming ; 
while  as  for  her  sisters  —  the  charming  but  wayward 
Constantia  (who  had  such  a  dislike  to  wetting  her  feet), 
the  sedate  Lavinia,  and  the  shadowy  Nesta — they  have 
long  since  vanished  into  limbo,  whence  all  our  efforts 
and  researches  have  failed  to  rescue  them. 

Then  what  of  the  decora  filia,  "  the  agreeable  M.  S.," 
who  so  fascinated  the  young  diarist  as  he  peered  from 
the  gallery  of  Devonshire  House  meeting?  Who  was 
she  ?  Whence  did  she  come  ?  There  is  a  flattering 
tradition  which  connects  the  Staffords,  fallen  to  very 
low  estate  in  humble  Whitechapel,  with  the  Earls  and 
Barons  Stafford  of  an  earlier  day5  with  Shakespeare's 
"Duke  of  Buckingham"  in  Henry  VIII. ,  and  Margaret 
Plantagenet,  Countess  of  Salisbury,  the  proud  dame 
who  refused  to  lay  her  head  upon  the  block,  "for  so 
do  traitors,  and  I  am  none."  Be  that  as  it  may,  these 
Staffords  came  of  an  ancient  and  honourable  family, 
which  had  seen  better  days,  and  had  embraced  the 
principles  of  Friends.  She  was  closely  related  to  the 
"Aunt  Allen"  (Margaret  Stafford)  of  the  diary,  was  a 
frequent  visitor  at  Uncle  Job's  at  Spitalfields,  the  bosom 


PREFACE. 


xm 


friend  of  the  winsome  Constantia,  and  a  welcome  guest 
at  good  Friend  William  Allen's.  What  became  of  this 
"  agreeable  "'  lady?  We  would  give  our  eyes  to  know. 
Whv  was  she  not  John  Allen's  blushing  bride  some  five 
years  later  when  another  took  her  place  ?  Did  she,  too, 
marry  elsewhere,  or  did  she  waste  her  sweetness  on  the 
desert  air  of  lasting  spinsterhood  ?  It  has  been  suggested 
that  she  died  young,  possibly  of  one  of  those  "declines" 
which  were  so  common  in  those  days  of  closed  windows, 
of  "tent"  beds,  and  unwholesome  surroundings,  before 
hockey  and  hygiene  had  been  heard  of.  Certain  it  is  that, 
in  spite  of  the  most  diligent  search,  she  never  reappears. 
John  Allen  himself  would  seem  to  have  been  a  little 
ashamed  of  his  early  passion  in  after  years,  to  judge  by 
the  frequent  erasures  which  accompany  the  mention  of 
her  name.  Yet,  what  would  we  not  give  for  a  glimpse 
of  her  daintv  figure  in  its  shapely  setting  of  pearl-grey 
Quaker  silk  as  she  trips  to  Meeting  on  a  summer's  First 
Day  morning,  and  to  be  permitted  to  peep  for  a  moment 
at  the  pretty  face,  "half  concealed  and  half  revealed" 
by  the  stiff  edges  of  the  severely  simple,  yet  coquettish, 
Quaker  bonnet !  One  feels  sure  that  the  agreeable 
'''Patty,"'  with  all  her  quiet  modest}-,  knew  very  well 
how  to  take  care  of  herself,  and  that  she  did  not  come 
off  second  best  in  that  "  chearful  altercation  with  the 
two  females*'  about  "the  instrument  of  last  night's 
diversion,"  mentioned  at  page  95  of  the  diarv.  Like 
Charles  Lamb's  Hester — 

••  Her  parents  held  the  Quaker  rule. 
Which  doth  the  human  feeling  cool,'" 

but  the  love  of  wholesome  fun  and  harmless  gaiety 
breaks  out  in  spite  of  it. 


xiv 


PREFACE. 


As  with  Hester,  so  too  with  Patty  Stafford,  it  is  not 

easy 

"  To  think  upon  the  wormy  bed 
And  her  together." 

She  too  "  was  train'd  in  Nature's  school, 

Nature  had  blest  her: 
A  waking  eye,  a  prying  mind, 
A  heart  that  stirs,  is  hard  to  bind  ; 
A  hawk's  keen  sight  ye  cannot  blind, 

Ye  could  not  Hester." 

And  so  she  passes  from  the  scene,  and  we  know  her  no 
more.  Did  she,  indeed,  die  young  ?  Did  she  live  to  be 
wrinkled,  old  and  crabbed  ?  or  did  a  husband  praise  her, 
and  children  "rise  up  and  call  her  blessed"?  We  know 
not,  and  never  shall  know.  Happy  or  hapless,  fare  thee 
well,  Vcnusta  nata  ! 

John  Allen,  the  youthful  diarist,  was  born  in  1757, 
and  spent  the  whole  of  his  life  at  Wapping,  at  that  time 
an  agreeable  riverside  suburb  of  London,  within  easy 
reach  of  the  City,  and  separated  by  a  strip  of  pleasant 
fields  from  rural  Stepney.  His  "earthly  calling"  (to 
use  a  well-worn  Quaker  phrase)  was  that  of  a  brewer,  a 
trade  into  which  his  father,  William  Allen,  had  been 
successfully  introduced  by  a  member  of  the  Wildsmith 
family.  It  was  before  the  days  of  teetotal  societies,  and 
Quakers  thought  no  scorn  of  earning  an  honest  livelihood 
by  the  production  of  liquor.  William  Allen,  in  his  long- 
life  of  nearly  eighty  years,  accumulated  a  respectable 
fortune  for  those  days.  His  son  John,  in  spite  of  certain 
trials  and  difficulties,  of  which  more  particular  mention 
will  be  found  in  the  diary  itself,  was  clearly  an  adept 
and  industrious  pupil.  The  "unreasonable  father" — 
unreasonable  (as  his  son  hints)  not  always  without  just 


PREFACE. 


xv 


cause — who  could  only  be  appeased  in  1777  by  "the 
interposition  of  certain  of  ye  family  in  my  behalf," 
doubtless  saw  reason  to  modify  the  severity  of  his  judg- 
ment in  later  years.  The  "  unreasonable  father,"  it  is 
right  to  say,  was  a  much  esteemed  Minister  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  of  which  he  was  a  "convinced" 
member,  and  died  full  of  years  and  honours  a  few 
months  after  the  decease  of  his  son  in  1S08.  A 
curious  story,  too  long  to  set  out  here,  which  would 
now  be  thought  worthy  of  engaging  the  attention 
of  the  Society  of  Psychical  Research,  the  particulars 
of  which  are  related  in  my  mother's  little  book  of 
"Family  Records''  at  pages  5  and  6,  is  told  in  con- 
nexion with  his  death.  John  Allen  appears  to  have 
been  a  lively,  impressionable  youth,  fond  of  his  joke  dike 
some  of  his  descendants),  yet  withal  a  true  practising 
Friend,  who  scruples  to  take  his  hat  off  in  a  "  steeple- 
house,"  writes  of  "Paul's  edifice"'  and  "James'  Park" 
(without  the  "Saint"),  a  wholesome,  honest,  decent  lad, 
and  a  careful  and  thorough  workman,  let  the  "  unreason- 
able father"  blame  him  never  so  harshly.  In  face,  to 
judge  by  the  only  silhouette  portrait  which  has  come  down 
to  us.  he  appears  to  have  been  "'no  great  beauty,"  while 
in  person  he  is  described  as  small  and  insignificant.  In 
one  thing  he  was  before  his  time :  he  was  a  lover  of 
fresh  air,  and  it  is  related  of  him  that  he  would  uncere- 
moniously open  the  windows  of  any  Friend  whose  house 
he  happened  to  enter.  Disdaining  the  three  inches  of 
insufferable  starched  linen,  considered  de  rigueur  by  some 
of  his  descendants  in  the  third  generation,  he  affected  the 
Byronic  collar,  loose  at  the  throat,  some  thirty  or  forty 
years  before  Byron  and  Shelley  had  made  it  fashionable. 
Perhaps,  as  the  silhouette  would  seem  to  indicate,  in  place 


xvi 


PREFACE. 


of  a  collar  he  wore  the  limp,  flowing  scarf  familiarly 
known  among  elderly  Friends  of  some  thirty  years  ago 
as  a  "  waterfall."  He  seems  to  have  been  a  fair  scholar 
for  those  days,  with  some  knowledge  of  Latin  and 
mathematics ;  and  the  diary  itself  shows  that,  apart 
from  certain  pardonable  solecisms,  though  living  in  the 
very  efflorescence  of  the  Johnsonian  age,  he  knew  how 
to  write  pure  pre-Johnsonian  English.  He  was  a  reader 
of  books,  some  of  which,  with  his  name  inscribed  in  a 
large  flowing  hand,  are  still  preserved  ;  amongst  others 
an  ancient  folio  medical  work  in  Latin,  "  emptus  parva 
Brittania"  [sic],  (bought  in  "Little  Britain").  In  this  con- 
nexion one  agreeable  trait  has  been  shrewdly  pointed  out 
by  one  of  his  great-granddaughters ;  that  is  to  say,  the 
entire  absence  from  the  diary  of  anything  in  the  nature  of 
slang.  The  hideous  jargon  of  the  Stock  Exchange  and 
the  sporting  newspaper  was  unknown  to  the  lively  young 
London  Quaker  of  1777.  It  is  quaint,  by  the  way,  to 
hear  of  his  teaching  little  Cousin  William  to  read  "  in 
my  chamber"  in  the  early  hours  before  it  is  time  to 
turn  to  at  the  vats  and  slings,  and  to  reflect  how  far 
that  little  William  Allen,  in  after  years  the  distinguished 
scientist  and  philanthropist,  the  friend  of  Princes  and 
Emperors,  was  destined  to  outstrip  his  master.  John 
Allen  died  prematurely  in  the  lifetime  of  his  father, 
William  Allen  the  elder,  and  with  his  wife  and  his  elder 
son  Charles  rests  in  the  now  disused  and  little-known 
graveyard  adjoining  Ratcliff  Meeting-house,  in  one  of 
the  poorest  slums  in  the  East  End  of  London. 

There  are  many  subsidiary  points  of  interest.  We 
should  like  much  to  know  what  were  the  "  few 
particulars "  which  the  inconstant-minded  Constantia's 
friend  at  Newcastle  requested  her  to  purchase  in  Smith- 


PREFACE. 


xvii 


field — probably  gloves  and  ribbons, — also  what  John 
Allen  paid  for  the  coach,  which  he  took  in  Cheapside 
"  to  make  more  speed,"  when  he  was  trying  to  overtake 
the  sisters.  We  do  not  now  buy  oranges  in  Cornhill  to 
take  into  the  country,  though  Paternoster  Row  still 
holds  its  own  as  the  headquarters  of  the  book-selling 
trade.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  in  those  days  of  coaches 
and  chaises  even  Friends  had  no  scruple  about  starting 
on  journeys  on  a  Sunday.  It  was  before  the  days  of 
Wilberforce  and  the  "  Clapham  Sect,"  and  Father  and 
Mother  set  out  for  distant  Yorkshire,  with  a  send-off 
from  the  whole  family  circle,  on  a  "First  Day"  after- 
noon after  duly  attending  Ratcliff  Meeting  in  the 
morning.  Many  of  the  coaches  left  early  on  the  Monday 
morning,  and  there  are  frequent  entries  of  this  or  that 
boy  and  girl  bound  for  school  coming  to  town  on  Sunday, 
or  going  to  sleep  at  friends'  houses  at  convenient  spots, 
in  order  to  be  in  readiness.  It  is  pleasant,  too,  to  note 
the  open-handed  hospitality  extended  by  William  Allen 
to  all  and  sundry  whom  they  met  at  meeting,  as  when 
his  son  records,  under  date  Sunday,  May  nth,  1777: 
<l  Quite  alone,  all  our  family  being  in  the  country  except 
myself;  but  there  was  a  full  board  at  dinner,  having  the 
Company  of  3  old  Women  and  4  Young  men."  This 
genial  tradition  happily  lingers  among  Friends  even  to 
our  own  time. 

In  conclusion,  my  grateful  acknowledgments  are 
due  to  Mr.  Isaac  Sharp,  Secretary  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  of  Devonshire  House,  Bishopsgate,  for  valued 
assistance  in  tracing  the  history  of  Friends  and  their 
Meetings ;  to  my  aunt,  Mrs.  Sarah  Angell  Fox,  the 
eldest  surviving  descendant  of  John  Allen,  for  the  loan 
of  several  beautiful  and  much-prized  silhouettes;  to  Mr. 


xviii 


PREFACE. 


Edward  Ransome  Allen,  of  Stoke  Newington,  and 
Alderman  Clayton,  of  Birmingham,  for  most  useful 
information  relating  to  their  respective  branches  of  the 
Allen  family ;  to  my  cousin,  Dr.  R.  Hingston  Fox,  for 
many  valuable  suggestions  and  corrections  ;  and  to  the 
Rev.  W.  P.  Blakeney,  Vicar  of  Thorpe  Salvin,  for  the 
kind  loan  of  books  and  photographs  illustrative  of  his 
church  and  parish  and  of  the  early  history  of  my 
Mother's  family. 

While  this  little  work  was  passing  through  the  press, 
my  uncle,  the  late  Charles  Harris  Allen,  the  senior 
male  representative  of  his  family,  has  been  called  to  his 
rest,  full  of  years  and  honoured  of  all  men.  It  is  a 
matter  of  great  regret  to  me  that  he  did  not  live  to 
peruse  its  pages. 

And  so  the  generations  run  on,  and  the  living 
tradition  passes  away,  "because  man  goeth  to  his  long 
home,  and  the  mourners  go  about  the  streets." 

C.  Y.  S. 


February  12th,  1905. 


Xeaves  from  tbe  fl>a$L* 


1777, 

2  Mo.  [February.] 

Th.  27.  Fifth  Day  of  Week.  Rose  at  |  after  6.  Had 
an  agreable  walk  in  the  evening  to  attend  sisters 
&  Cousin  from  a  visit  to  Thos  Bowry  &  Wife. 
Going  to  Bed  at  J  ante  11,  which  concludes  this 
Day. 

F.        28.    Rose  at  7.   A  fine  warm  day  for  the  time  of  Year. 

Nothing  particular  till  the  Afternoon,  narrowiv 
escaped  a  very  dangerous  headlong  fall  from  the 
top  of  a  Barry  Loft  by  my  foot  slip[p]ing  from  off 
the  Beam  I  stood  upon.  An  agreeable  evening. 
Going  to  bed  at  12.  Thermometer  in  the 
morning  45. 

3  Mo.  [March.] 

S.  1.    Rose  8.  An  easy  Dav.   Bought  several  Numbers. 

2  of  Josephus.    Going  to  rest  J  after  11. 

5.  2.    First  day  of  the  Week.    A  fine  day.    Rose  at 

j  after  7.  Father,  Sisters  &  Cousin  went  to 
Chiswick.  Had  the  agreeable  Companv  of 
G.  L.  &  A.  Wheeler  to  tea  &  sapper.  Going 
to  bed  j  after  10. 

M.  3.  A  pleasant  Day.  Wm  Andwill  came  to  town 
about  his  Brother  Tho5  (being  prest  at  Ports- 
mouth) for  to  obtain  his  Release. 

*  The  original  has  been  closely  followed  in  the  matter  of  spelling, 
capitals,  abbreviations,  &c,  punctuation  being  inserted,  where  necessary 
for  clearness. 


20 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


GRACECHURCH  STREET  MEETING 

As  it  appeared  on  a  First  day  morning  Meeting,  over 
a  hundred  years  ago,  photographed  from  a  painting, 
the  probable  date  of  which  was  1770. 

"  It  was  painted  by  a  young  artist  who  was  in  love  with 
one  of  the  young  women  Friends,  and  on  her  account  he  fre- 
quently attended  the  Meetings.  As  he  was  well  able  to  paint 
from  memory,  these  frequent  visits  enabled  him  to  perfect  his 
painting  of  the  Meeting  and  its  habitues.  He  sold  the 
picture  for  £150  to  Joseph  Smith,  the  banker,  of  the  firm  of 
Smith,  Wright,  and  Grey.  It  descended  from  him  to  the  late 
Ann  Hopkins  Smith,  of  Olney,  who  died  in  1851,  aged  83,  and 
from  her  to  the  late  William  Lucas,  of  Hitchin,  who  was  one 
of  her  residuary  legatees,  and  thence  to  his  son,  the  present 
William  Lucas,  of  Hitchin,  in  whose  possession  it  now  is. 

"The  figure  next  to  the  women,  in  the  raised  seat  under 
the  Ministers'  Gallery,  is  Joseph  Smith.  Under  him,  facing 
the  Meeting,  is  Dr.  Lettsom  ;  Dr.  Fothergill  is  in  the  Ministers' 
Gallery.  Of  the  rather  conspicuous  figures  on  the  side  seat, 
the  one  nearest  the  gallery  is  Samuel  Hoare,  the  banker, 
whose  wife,  Grizell,  is  the  woman  Friend  in  the  dark  plain 
dress  on  the  side  seat;  and  below  her,  dressed  alike,  are  their 
three  daughters,  the  middle  one  being  Grizell,  who  married  a 
Birkbeck,  and,  subsequently,  William  Allen,  becoming  his 
third  wife  in  1827.  On  the  left  of  Grizell  is  her  sister  Sarah, 
who  married  a  Bradshaw,  and  who  died  in  1783. 

"  The  Friend  standing,  preaching  in  the  Ministers'  Gallery, 
with  his  three-cornered  hat  hanging  just  above  him,  is  Isaac 
Sharpies,  who  died  in  1784.  He  was  grandfather  of  the  late 
Isaac  Sharpies,  of  Hitchin.  The  little  bent  woman,  just 
below  Isaac  Sharpies,  is  Ann  Christy,  or,  as  she  was  always 
called,  Nanny  Christy.  She  always  wore,  besides  her  white 
cast-over,  a  green  apron  and  green  mittens." 


Extracted  from  a  paper  by  James  Bonne,  of 
Reading,  in  the  Friends'  Quarterly  Examiner  for  1876. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


23 


1777. 

3  Mo.  [March.] 

Tu.        4.    Nothing  particular. 

W.  5.  Wm  Andwill  sets  off  to  Portsmouth  with  a 
Letter  from  the  Admiralty  concerning  his 
Brother.     Going  to  bed  \  ante  11. 


Th.        6.    Rose  at  6.    Hard  morning,  easier  Day.  Some 
Disc< 
at  11 


Discord.    An  agreeable  evening.    Going  to  Bed 


F.  7.    Rose   7.      Easy   Day.      Nothing    to  record. 

Going  to  bed  J  ante  10. 

S.  8.    Easy  Day.    Had  a  pleasant  Walk  in  the  After- 

noon to  my  Aunt's*  at  Lambeth.  Came  home 
at  8.    Going  to  Bed  J  after  n. 

S-  9.    First   of  the  week.     This   day  we   had  the 

company  of  Thos  Bowry  &  Wife,  Lydia  Burgess, 
Jane  Burnham,  Eliz.  Marsh, f  Mary  &  Eliz.  Belch, 
Deborh  &  Hanh  Weston,  Mary  Woodbridge,  & 
my  aunt  Elizath.  Allen  to  Tea,  who  came  to  take 
their  leave  of  Sister  Ann  before  she  is  married. 
It  proved  a  wet  afternoon,  &  an  evening  Meeting 
was  held  at  Gracechurch  Street^  at  the  Desire  of 

Elizabeth  Pryor  (1731-1S21).         f  ?  His  future  wife  (1754-1S26). 

X  Gracechurch  Street,  or  (as  it  was  commonly  pronounced)  "  Gracious" 
Street,  Meeting  was  built  on  a  plot  of  land  formerly  occupied  by  the  White 
Hart  Inn,  which  had  been  cleared  by  the  Great  Fire,  near  the  junction  of 
Lombard  and  Gracechurch  Streets.  It  was  held  on  lease  from  the  Fish- 
mongers' Company,  the  freeholders,  which  was  renewed  from  time  to  time, 
and  surrendered  in  1S62.  The  meeting-house,  enlarged  and  altered  as 
occasion  required,  was  completely  destroyed  by  hre  on  Sunday,  September  gth, 
1821,  when  many  valuable  early  records  and  documents  perished.  The  new 
building  was  completed  in  1822,  but  as  the  number  of  residents  in  the  City 
decreased,  it  was  found  to  be  unnecessary  in  such  close  proximity  to 
Devonshire  House.  The  last  meeting  for  worship  was  held  there  during  the 
Yearly  Meeting  of  1862,  when  J.  I.  Eddy,  of  America,  and  B.  Seebohm,  with 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

3  Mo.  [March.] 

C.  Robinson.  Eight  of  the  Young  women  with 
Aunt  and  self  went  in  two  Coaches  to  it. 

Two  Weeks  meeting*  to  Day.  Attended  Sister 
Ann  in  passing  it  lor  the  last  time. 

Nothing  particular. 

Fine  morning.  This  day  my  younger  sisterf  was 
married  to  John  Miller!  of  Ware.  Had  upwards 
of  30  in  company.  We  dined  at  the  George  & 
Vulture  in  Tottenham.  Returned  home  about 
7  in  the  Evening  which  was  wet. 

My  Eldest  sister  [Priscilla§]  having  had  intelli- 
gence from  E.  Cut  worth  ||  of  her  coming  to 
London  by  sea,  I  went  to  S.  Darby  to  enquire 
for  her,  but  she  was  not  come. 

*  The  "Two-Weeks"  Meeting  was  the  earliest  form  of  meetings  for 
business,  founded  civ,  1662,  beiore  London  was  mapped  out  by  George  Fox, 
into  six  Monthly  Meetings  in  1668,  when  its  jurisdiction  was  limited  to  the 
City  proper.  From  1671  to  1789,  when  it  was  dissolved,  it  had  the  especial 
charge  of  marriages  among  Friends.  Those  about  to  marry  had  to  appear 
twice  before  the  Two-Weeks  Meeting,  in  addition  to  obtaining  the  consent  of 
their  respective  Monthly  Meetings. — Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  infra, 
pp.  44,  70,  85-89,  chap.  viii. ,  and  350. 

f  Ann  (1755-1809). 

\  (1743-1808),  previously  married  to  Esther  Lowe. 

§  Married,  1782,  William  Knight,  of  Chelmsford. —  Vide  "  Family  Records," 

pp.  7-12. 

|.|  ?  Cudworth. 

other  ministers,  were  "largely  and  powerfully  engaged,  closing  thereby  the 
use  of  that  spot  for  Gospel  service,  which  had  continued  nearly  200  years." 
George  Fox,  the  founder  of  Quakerism,  often  preached  in  the  old  meeting- 
house, and  died  at  rooms  adjoining,  as  the  result  of  a  chill  and  seizure 
following  one  of  these  efforts,  on  Tuesday,  January  13th,  1691.  After  lying 
in  state  in  an  informal  manner  for  three  days,  the  remains  were  removed  for 
burial  to  Bunhill  Fields,  borne  by  relays  of  thirty-six  Friends,  six  from  each 
monthly  meeting,  and  followed  to  the  grave  by  4,000  persons.  William  Allen 
and  Elizabeth  Fry  were  members  of  Gracechurch  Street  Meeting. —  Vide 
London  Friends'  Meetings,  by  William  Beck  and  Frederick  Ball,  pp.  144-157. 


M. 


10. 


Tu.  &  W. 
11,  12. 

Th.  1^. 


F. 


14. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

3  Mo.  "March. ] 

S.  15.  A  Sorrowfull  Dav  to  our  family  on  Account  of 
Sister's  leaving  us  to  go  with  her  husband  to 
Ware.  Her  sister  attended  her.  &  is  to  stay 
with  her  a  tew  Days. 

S.  16.  First  day  of  the  Week.  Nothing  remarkable 
but  a  wet  daw 

M.  17.  Fine  morning  with  Wind.  Went  with  josiah 
Miller,  Brother  to  John  Miller,  to  see  Paul's 
Edefice.*  Called  upon  Uncle  Job.  M.  Stafford 
went  with  us  to  see  it,  the  sight  of  which  did 
not  turn  out  according  to  our  expectation.  \Yc 
then  parted  with  Patty.  Went  to  Aunt's  at 
Lambeth  to  dinner,  then  crossed  the  Thames. 
Went  to  Parliament  House,  but  could  not  get  in. 
as  business  was  only  transacted  by  a  Committee. 
&  in  rinding  our  way  out  wandered  into  the 
Star  Chamber. t  wherein  the  King  is  robed  before 
he  goes  into  the  House.  After  a  littie  Time 
spent  in  viewing  the  Tapestry  t  with  which  it  was 
adorned,  we  enquired  our  way  out.  crossed  the 
street  and  went  into  the  Abbey  at  Poets'  Corner. 
We  viewed  the  Monuments  in  the  outer  part  for 
a  considerable  Time.  Some  was  very  magnificent, 
especially  the  new  Ones,  &,  being  obliged  to  take 
off  our  Hats  or  go  out.  we  went  into  the  Chappeil 
where  they  was  performing  worship,  &  the 
Organ  played  some  time.  From  thence  we 
went  into  the  inner  Chappies  after  paving  3; 
each,  in  which  we  had  a  guide  to  show  &  make 
an  oration  over  the  monuments  of  the  more 

*  St.  Paul  s  Cathedral, 
t  Destroyed  in  the  fire  of  October  16th,  1834. 


26 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

3  Mo.  [March.] 

Illustrious  Dead  such  as  Kings?  Queens,  Dukes 
&c,  some  of  which  was  all  of  Brass,  others  of 
very  fine  marble  with  some  granate  [sic],  some 
Effigies  in  Wax,*  the  Coronation  Chairs  &c. 
From  these  gloomy  places  we  went  to  Berry 
Marshman'sf  to  Tea  to  meet  with  some  of  our 
family  that  was  there  on  a  visit,  &  Came  home 
with  them  in  the  Evening,  which  concludes  this 
curious  Day  or  day  of  curiosities. 

Tu.  18.  Working  day.  The  above  said  Josiah  at  night 
went  from  here  to  his  inn,  he  intending  to  return 
the  next  morning  home  to  Alton  early. 

W.       ig.    This  day  taken  up  in  drying  brown  Malt. 
Th.      20.    This  day  do.  do. 

F.  21.  This  day  a  Release  from  the  above  Job.  Went 
to  enquire  if  E.  Cutworth  was  arrived  yet,  but 
she  was  not. 

S.         22.    This  day  taken  mostly  in  drying  brown  Malt. 
£>.        23.    First  day  of  the  week.  Went  to  RatcliffJ  meeting 

*  The  wax  figures  formerly  borne  at  State  funerals  upon  the  bier  of  the 
deceased,  representing  them  as  nearly  as  possible  "in  their  habit  as  they 
lived."  These  effigies  are  still  to  be  seen  in  the  small  chamber  over  Abbot 
Islip's  Chapel,  off  the  North  Choir  aisle  of  Westminster  Abbey.  Cf.  Machyn's 
Diary  (temp.  Edward  VI.,  Mary,  and  Elizabeth),  published  by  the  Camden 
Society  in  1848,  p.  182,  for  the  "pyctur  of  emages  of  Ouen  Mary"  borne  at 
her  funeral,  "adorned  with  cremesun  velvett  &  her  crowne  on  her  hed,  her 
septer  on  her  hand,  &  mony  goodly  rynges  on  her  fyngers." 

t  Related  through  John  Allen's  step-mother,  Mary  Kendall. — Vide  p.  34. 

J  Removed  from  Mile  End  Green,  civ.  1667,  to  a  site  at  the  corner  of 
School-house  Lane  and  Brook  Street,  Ratcliff.  Rebuilt  1797,  and  reopened 
for  worship  1798.  Still  existing.  The  burial-ground  continued  to  be  used 
until  1857,  when  "intramural  burials"  were  forbidden  by  Order  in  Council. 
(Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  ut  supta,  pp.  267-270.)  John  Allen  and  his 
elder  son  Charles  both  lie  there. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


29 


1777. 

3  Mo.  [March.] 

in  the  Morning,  but  to  Gracechurch  in  the  after- 
noon to  enquire  of  S.  Darby  if  he  had  heard 
from  Newcastle,  but  he  had  not. 

M.  24.  A  fine  Day.  In  the  afternoon  had  a  message 
from  the  "Three  Sisters/'  a  ship  lying  in  the 
River  just  arrived  from  Newcastle,  notifying 
E.  C.  was  come  in  her.  I  accordingly  went 
with  messenger  &  conducted  her  to  our  house. 
She  had  a  rough  passage  and  was  Ten  Days 
coming. 


Tu.  &  W.    Two  remarkable  hot  days.    Dryed  brown  Malt 
25,  26.    in  both. 

Th.  27.  This  afternoon  went  in  our  Chaise  to  Ware,  to 
brother  and  sister  Miller,  to  bring  Priscilla  home 
from  them,  as  she  was  the  chief  acquaintance 
E.  C.  had  in  our  family.  'Twas  a  hot  afternoon 
till  evening,  when  it  proved  rather  cold.  I 
reached  Ware  about  J  after  7.  Lay  at  Brother's 
at  night. 

F.  28.  A  Cloudy  cold  day.  Walked  about  Ware  a 
small  time.  About  Ten  o'clock  myself  &  two 
sisters  &  another  young  woman,  Eliz.  Stammers, 
went  to  Jn°  Scot's  *f  at  Amwell,  &  we  were  enter- 
tained with  a  sight  of  his  large  &  very  curious 
garden,  which  is  laid  out  in  a  very  pleasing 
Taste.  We  were  then  shown  his  Grotto,  which 
was  composed  of  many  rooms  and  intricate 
passages,  chiefly  covered  with  shells,  &  disposed 

The  well-known  Quaker  poet,  a  friend  of  Dr.  Johnson,  born  1730,  died 
at  his  house  at  Ratclirf  in  1783,  and  buried  at  the  Friends'  burial-ground 
there. —  Vide  Dictionary  of  National  Biography,  vol.  li.,  p.  42. 


30 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

3  Mo.  [March.] 

in  a  very  curious  Order,  the  sight  of  which 
strikes  the  Beholders  with  an  agreable  Admira- 
tion, &  appeared  very  brilliant.  His  house  is 
very  noble  &  spacious,  &  several  rooms  have 
very  pleasant  prospects.  When  curiosity  was 
satisfied  we  retired  to  our  quarters,  and  after 
dinner  Sister  &  myself  set  off  about  2  o'clock 
towards  London.  In  our  way  stopt  at  Jn° 
Burgesse's  at  Enfield  &  drank  some  tea ;  then 
we  rode  home,  which  we  reached  before  night, 
and  had  the  company  of  G.  Wheeler  part  of 
the  evening,  &  so  finished  this  day. 

S.         29.    Dryed  Brown  Malt  most  of  this  Day. 

5,  30.  First  day  of  the  Week.  Went  to  Ratcliff  Meeting 
in  ye  morn,  but  to  Devonshire  house  in  the  After- 
noon ;  Two  Women  friends,  Dorothy  Wiggum*  & 
Ann  King, Who  came  with  E.  C.  from  Newcastle, 
being  to  be  there,  &  they  both  appeared  in 
publick  Testimony  at  said  meeting.  After 
meeting  I  went  with  Sister  &  E.  C.  to  drink 
Tea  with  a  Cousin  of  E.  C.'s,  then  came  home 
to  supper  &  so  concluded  this  day. 

M.        31.    Nothing  remarkable. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

Tu.        1.    Taken  up  in  drying  brown  Malt. 


W. 


2.    Brown  Malt  morning.    Well  worked  in  Brew- 
house  till  late  at  night. 

*  Probably  Wigham. 


MARGARET  ALLEN, 

NEE  STAFFORD. 
1747— 183O. 


SUSANNA  CLAYTON, 

NEE  ALLEN. 
BORN    I736  AT   THORPE  SALVIN. 

Daughter  of  John  Allen  of  that  place. 

DIED  AT   DUNMOW,   lSzi  . 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST 


33 


1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

Th.  3.  Bad  morning.  Went  to  Uncle's  in  the  afternoon 
to  post  his  books ;  then  went  to  meet  my  sister 
&  E.  C.  coming  from  Park  meeting,* which  I  did 
with  several  other  friends,  Some  of  Whose  com- 
pany we  had  part  of  the  way  home.  We  had 
the  company  of  D.  W.  &  Ann  King,  the  two 
women  friends  (who  had  been  this  morning  to 
our  weekday  meeting),  to  dinner,  who  were 
attended  hither  by  friend  Darby  of  Thames 
Street.  They  set  off  after  dinner  to  L.  Warton's 
in  Wappg. 


F.  4.    Brewd  Ale  this  day  &  had  a  deal  Work  to  do. 

S.  5.    Drying  Brown  Malt  all  the  Day,  &  is  the  last 

day  of  this  Work  for  some  time. 


First  of  the  Week.  Went  in  the  morning  to 
Ratcliff  Meeting,  which  was  visited  by  Hester 
Moxon  &  was  very  full.  Aunt  Allen  t  &  Patty 
Stafford  came  to  dinner  &  went  with  us  in  the 
Afternoon  to  Wapping  Meeting.!"    Hester  Moxon 

*  The  Park  Meeting  was  in  Southwark.  It  was  held  first  in  1658  in  the 
house  of  Thomas  Hackleton,  "  near  the  Ealcon  in  the  upper  ground"  ;  but  in 
1674  had  outgrown  its  accommodation,  and  Friends  took  a  piece  of  ground 
forming  part  of  the  Park,  once  attached  to  the  Palace  of  the  Bishops  of 
Winchester.  It  was  rented  from  one  Ewer,  who  seems  to  have  given  his 
name  to  a  street,  as  the  old  Park  Meeting-house  was  in  an  "angle  of  Ewer 
Street."  The  old  Park  was  superseded  by  the  new  Park  Meeting-house  in 
1687,  and  a  new  building  called  the  New  Park  Meeting-house  was  opened  on 
the  same  spot  in  1763,  between  Worcester  Street  and  Redcross  Street.  This 
was  finally  sold  to  the  Metropolitan  Board  of  Works  in  i860,  in  consequence 
of  the  formation  of  New  Southwark  Street. — Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  ut 
supra,  pp.  219-222. 

t  Wife  of  Job  Allen,  nee  Margaret  Stafford.    Probably  Cousin  of  "  M.  S." 

%  A  sort  of  chapel-of-ease  to  Ratcliff  Meeting.  "Friends  had  become 
less  numerous  in  this  waterside  locality,  and  in  1779,  at  the  expiration  of  the 
lease,  the  property  passed  out  of  the  hands  of  Friends,  and  no  attempt  has 
since  been  made  to  establish  a  meeting  in  the  district/' — Vide  London  Friends' 
Meetings,  ut  supra,  p.  270. 


5.  6. 


3 


34 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

was  also  there.  Came  home  to  Tea,  where  was 
Uncle  Larcum*  &  Cousin  Charles  Whiting  & 
Wm  Tomlinson. 

M.  7.  London  quarterly  meetg  held  this  day.  All  our 
Family  was  there.  Some  went  to  Uncle  Job's 
to  Tea.  E.  C.  came  not  back  with  them,  but 
went  to  a  Cousin  of  hers  in  Cannon  S*. 


Tu.  8.  Mother,!  her  Mother,  &  Cousin  Polly  went  to 
visit  their  Cousin  Marshman  at  Newington,  & 
took  Sister  [Priscilla]  in  their  Coach  with  them 
as  far  as  Cannon  S4,  where  she  was  to  call  on 
E.  C,  &  then  proceeded]  together  to  Aunt's  I 
at  Chiswick.  A  deal  of  work  to  Day,  &  Cleansed 
the  Ale  after  ten  at  Night. 


W.  9.  A  windy  day.  Exercised  the  new  horse  in  the 
Truck,  but  was  much  incommoded  with  the 
Wind  &  Dust.  This  Afternoon  Grand  Moth1'  § 
&  Cousin  vis[i]ted  R.  Clark  &  his  Wife.  Mother 
went  with  them,  but  as  soon  as  they  had  arrived 
to  their  Friends  she  proceeded  on  to  her  Cousin 
Satterthwaite,  intending  to  stay  with  her  a  few 
days,  she  having  lately  lost  her  husband.  A  day 
of  fatigue. 

*  Elder  son  of  Moses  and  Ann  Kendall,  of  Charlbury,  born  1719,  brother 
of  John  Allen's  step-mother. 

t  J.  A.'s  step-mother,  Mary  Kendall,  daughter  of  Moses  and  Ann  Kendall, 
late  of  Burford,  Oxon.  (1728-1788).  Married  to  William  Allen  at  the  Park 
Meeting,  in  Southwark,  May  2nd,  1770. 

X  Susanna  Clayton  (1736-1821). 
§  Ann  Kendall,  mother  of  John  Allen's  second  wife,  Mary  Kendall,  to 
whom  were  related,  in  some  unexplained  way,  Constantia,  Lavinia,  Nesta, 
and  Delia. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST, 


35 


1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

Th.  io.  This  afternoon  saddled  the  new  horse  &  went 
to  Jno  Peers  at  Lambeth  about  some  business. 
Called  at  Aunt's  to  see  if  Lavinia  &  Constantia 
were  there.  Constantia  was  gone  to  Black's 
Fields  to  tea  :  the  former  I  found  there  after 
I  had  put  up  the  horse.  I  staid  tea  with  Aunt 
&  Lavinia.  As  soon  as  we  had  done,  we  set 
off,  they  to  the  Park  Meet-,  &  I  home;  but 
having  time  &  a  pleasant  afternoon  I  continued 
my  Rout  through  Fenchurch  Street  on  to  Bow, 
turned  up  through  Bromley  &  Poplar,  &  so 
home,  being  very  much  tired,  the  Horse  being 
heavy  &  not  an  easy  goer,  where  I  was  soon 
joined  by  Lavinia  &  Constantia. 

F.  ii.  Lavinia  departed  from  us  this  morng,  going 
about  her  affairs,  intends  to  lodge  at  her 
Cousin's.  Mere  returns  home  at  Noon  from 
her  Cousin  Satterthwaite.  In  the  Eveng  Father 
tried  the  Horse  in  his  Chaise  after  he  had  been 
worked  in  the  Truck,  &  took  Constantia  & 
Delia  with  him,  &  proceeded  as  far  as  Eppin 
forest.  They  returned  about  8.  The  Horse 
performed  well,  &  they  pleased  with  their 
ride. 


S.  12.  A  Wet  Morning  but  fine  afternoon,  when  Father 
&  Mere  set  off  to  go  to  Ware  to  Brother  Miller's, 
intendg  to  go  to  Hunsdon*  Meetg  the  Day  followg, 
&  had  the  new  Horse  with  them.  Lavinia 
returned  this  afternoon. 

5.        13.    First  day  of  the  Week.    Went  to  Ratcliff  Meet? 
*  A  few  miles  east  of  Hertford,  about  four  miles  from  Ware. 


36 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

[4  Mo.  April.] 

in  the  Morng,  but  to  Devonshire  house*  in  the 
Afternoon  to  the  funeral  of  Thomas  Talvin.t  The 
Meetg  was  appointed  at  3  o'clock ;  was  there 
before  3,  but  could  not  get  in,  every  place  so 
crowded.  'Twas  impossible  to  sit  down  except 
in  the  quarterly  meeting  Room  at  a  great 
distance  from  the  Public  friends  in  the  other 
Meeting.  Dorothy  Wiggum  &  Ann  King  was 
there  with  other  London  friends  who  spoke. 
The  Body  was  buried  at  Whitechapple  ground. 
After  the  Ceremony  was  over  Uncle  X  &  his  two 
eldest  sons  came  home  with  me  &  stayd  a  little 
time. 

M.  14.  Brewing  to-day  ;  had  to  conduct  it  myself,  father 
being  at  Ware,  but  returned  safe  this  Afternoon. 

Tu.  15.  Brewing  without  &  Ironing  within  doors ;  not 
much  peace  for  the  Males.  Had  a  pleasant 
ride  to  Jn°.  Peers's  before  breakfast  &  back 
again  this  morng.  A  fine  Day  &  the  work 
concluded  soon. 

*  After  the  destruction  of  the  "Bull  and  Mouth"  meeting  in  the  Great 
Fire  of  1666  Friends  rented  a  part  of  the  former  mansion  of  the  Earls  of 
Devonshire,  in  Bishopsgate  Street.  Meetings  were  held  in  the  old  mansion 
until  1678,  when  a  lease  of  part  of  the  estate  was  acquired.  Upon  this  site 
successive  buildings  were  erected,  until  in  1793-4  the  two  existing  meeting- 
houses were  built  for  the  accommodation  of  the  Yearly  Meeting,  hitherto  held 
at  Gracechurch  Street.  {Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  ut  supra,  pp.  167-170.) 
It  would  seem  from  the  diary  that  the  Yearly  Meeting  had  already  begun  to 
be  held  in  part  (cf.  p.  50)  at  Devonshire  House,  where  it  still  flourishes.  Hood 
wrote  that  Quakers  were  to  be  met  with  "  in  Bishopsgate  at  Whitsuntide,  and 
Stamford  Hill  at  any  tide."  The  Yearly  Meeting,  which  by  the  rules  of 
the  Society  is  to  begin  its  sittings  "on  the  first  Fourth  Day  after  the  third 
First  Day  in  Fifth  Month,"  frequently  coincides  with  Whitsuntide. 

t  ?  Talwin,  ob.  April  6th,  1777,  at.  70. 

X  Job  Allen  (1734-1800),  William  Allen  (then  aged  7)  and  Samuel  Allen 
ob.  1868,  at.  97). 


SAMUEL  ALLEN. 

Second  Son  of  Job  Allen  and  Margarei 
Stafford. 

Father  of  Stafford  Allen. 
1771 — -lS68. 


JOSEPH  ALLEN, 

OF  DUN  MOW. 

Third  Son  of  Job  Allen  and  Margaret 
Stafford. 

1774— 1849. 


PHEBE  ALLEN, 
Wife  of  Samuel  Allen. 

Daughter  of  William  Lucas  and  mother  of 
Stafford  Allen. 


1769 — 1856. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


41 


1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

W.  1 6.  Moderate  Morng.  Walked  to  Mile  End  &  was 
paid  a  Bill.  Full  employed  in  the  Afternoon  till 
night.    Rose  before  7,  going  to  rest  before  n. 

Th.  17.  Went  to  meetg  in  the  morn-,  walked  to  my 
Uncle's  at  Spittalfields  &  attended  Mother  & 
Delia  home.  Grand  Mother  goes  to  her  Cousin 
Satterthwaite  to  stay  a  little  Time. 

F.  18.  Dorothy  Wiggum  &  Ann  King  was  to  set  sail 
to-day  towards  Newcastle  in  the  "  Mary," 
Capt.  Chapman.  Lavinia  goes  with  them,  & 
Constantia,  being  invited  by  her  to  Newcastle 
&  having  Consent  of  parties  concerned,  agrees 
to  venture  the  seas  in  company  with  them.  I 
attended  them  to  Sam1  Robinson's  on  the  water 
side,  &  he  conducted  us  in  his  Boat  to  the  ship, 
except  Constantia,  who  happened  to  take  a  false 
step  getting  into  the  Boat,  &  wetted  her  feet. 
She  thereupon  tarried  with  Sail)7  Robinson  to 
dry  her  Cloathing  &  we  proceeded  to  the  Ship. 
The  public  Friends  got  in  just  before  us  &  John 
Dollin  just  after  us,  who  was  going  likewise  to 
Newcastle.  We  found  the  Callbin  [sic]  a  very 
spacious  &  commodious  one,  but  the  Vessel  did 
not  sail  so  soon  as  was  appointed.  Lavinia 
then  returned  on  shore  with  us  to  wait  with 
Constantia  till  all  things  were  ready  for  sailing. 
I  returned  home  &  acquainted  our  family  they 
were  still  on  shore,  who  all  went  &  drank  tea 
with  them  at  the  above  Friend's  ;  it  proved  a 
dull  even",  &  winds  contrary,  &  about  8  o'clock 
they  returned  home  with  the  rest  of  the  Family, 
being  previously  informed  the  ship  would  not 
sail  till  next  day  at  noon. 


42 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

S.  19.  A  fine  Morning.  Constantia,  being  discouraged 
at  the  proceedings  of  yesterday,  gave  over  all 
Intentions  of  going  with  Lavinia  to  the  North, 
&  having  just  received  a  request  from  a  friend 
at  Newcastle  to  buy  a  few  particulars  for  her, 
they  accordingly  departed  as  soon  as  breakfast 
was  over  to  Smithfield  to  execute  the  Com- 
mission, thinking  they  should  be  returned  before 
ye  ship  weighed  Anchor.  They  had  not  left  the 
House  long  before  S.  Robinson  came  to  inform 
them  the  Ship  was  going  down  the  River ; 
nothing  now  was  left  for  me  to  do  but  to  pursue 
after  them  as  fast  as  I  could,  which  I  did,  but 
did  not  overtake  them  till  they  had  got  to 
Smithfield  &  had  bought  what  they  wanted. 
They  directly  left  the  House,  &  I  waited  till  the 
parcel  was  bundled  up,  &  then  pursued  them 
back  again,  came  up  with  them  in  Newgate  Sf, 
took  coach  in  Cheapside  to  make  more  speed, 
which  brought  us  to  S.  Robinson's.  We  then 
took  boat,  &  only  put  Lavinia's  Baggage  in,  as 
Constantia  had  determined  not  to  go.  After  a 
little  time  we  came  up  with  the  ship  &  all  got 
in.  The  agreable  Company  &  Commodiousness 
of  the  Cabbin  caused  Constantia  again  to 
Change  her  mind,  &  I  being  informed  of  it 
enquired  of  the  Captian  [sic~\  if  it  was  possible 
I  could  again  overtake  them  if  I  went  back 
for  her  Baggage.  He  told  me  he  thought 
I  could  with  a  pair  of  oars  reach  them  again 
about  Greenwich.  I  immediately  went  back  in 
the  same  boat,  hired  Oars  &  a  fresh  boat,  & 
followed  with  the  said  Baggage,  &  they  was 
sailed  very  near  as  low  as  Greenwich  before  I 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


43 


1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

could  board  them  again;  so  after  I  had  delivered 
up  all  my  Charges  I  left  them  in  good  spirits,  & 
wishing  them  a  safe  passage  &  short  one,  about 
2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  returned  home  to 
Dinner,  which  was  late.  Being  fatigued  with 
the  Hurry  of  the  morning,  I  was  not  much 
inclined  to  work  in  the  Afternoon  ;  however 
there  was  no  great  deal  to  do. 

20.  First  day  of  the  week.  Wind  at  South  East 
in  the  Morning,  which  I  was  glad  to  see,  &  more 
so  when  it  continued  about  South  all  the  Day, 
it  being  a  fair  wind  for  the  friends  that  Sailed 
yesterday.  Was  a  fine  day.  Went  to  Ratcliff 
Meet§  in  the  Morns,  Wm  Knight  of  Barking 
was  there,  spoke  some  time  in  publick,  &  came 
to  our  house  to  dinner,  as  did  O.  Weston  &  M. 
Fifield,^  who  are  to  be  married  next  fifth  dav. 
They  invited  Delia  to  attend  them.  Went  to 
Wappg  Meetg  in  the  afternoon  &  spent  the 
eveng  at  home. 

M.  21.  Last  night  a  windy  Night.  The  Wind  increases 
all  the  day.  Talk  much  of  the  Friends  in  the 
"  Mary."  However  'tis  in  the  Best  corner,  being 
S.W.  or  thereabouts.  Grandmother  returned 
this  morning.  Father,  mother  &  she  attend's 
O.  W.  &  M.  F.  to  the  Two  week's  meet*t  this 
afternoon  for  the  last  time.  A  cloudy  evening 
&  the  Wind  still  more  boisterous.  Am  in  hopes 
the  "  Mary"  is  in  Tinmouth  harbour. 


Tu.      22.    Took  a  ride  this  afternoon  after  work  was  done 
towards  Rumford.    The  wind  was  high. 
*  Owen  Weston  and  Mary  Fy field.       f  Vide  note  at  p.  24. 


4  4 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

W.  23.  The  Antigallicans*  walked  to  day  [St.  George's 
Day]  to  our  Steeple  House,!  I  with  thousands 
more  went  to  see  their  procession. 

Th.      24.    This  Morning  the  Marriage  of  O.W.  with  M.  F. 

was  celebrated  at  our  Meetg ;  it  was  favoured 
with  the  presence  of  E.  Bevington,  J.  Townsend, 
C.  Gay,  &  others ;  the  Meeting  was  full,  the  parties 
each  made  a  simular  [sic]  &  remarkable  Mistake  in 
saying  the  Ceremony  ;  he  promised  to  make  her 
a  loving  Wife  &  she  to  make  him  an  affectionate 
Husband  ;  he  recall'd  his  Mistake  before  he 
proceeded  far,  but  she  sat  down  without  mending 
it,  but  presently  after  they  stood  up  again  & 
she  spake  over  again  to  general  satisfaction,  but 
it  so  affected  her  she  fainted  away  as  soon  as  she 
came  out.  All  our  family  except  myself  was 
there.  Barbara  Johnson  &  Barbara  Nixon,  being 
at  the  Meeting,  came  &  dined  with  me,  being  the 
only  one  left  at  home. 

F.  25.  Went  this  morning  to  Uncle  Job's  &  found  him 
lame,  having  lost  much  blood  by  scratching  one 

*  "  It  appears  that  '  the  Laudable  Association  of  Antigallicans  '  had  their 
headquarters  at  '  Lebeck's  Head,'  in  the  Strand,  in  April,  1757.  The  society 
was  so  called  '  from  the  Endeavours  of  its  Members  to  promote  the  British 
Manufacturies,  to  extend  the  Commerce  of  England,  and  discourage  the 
introducing  of  French  Modes  and  oppose  the  importation  of  French  Com- 
modities.' " — Notes  and  Queries,  Seventh  Series,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  151,  152. 

It  was,  in  fact,  an  Eighteenth-century  Protectionist  Association. 

The  answer  to  the  query  ends  with  a  quotation  from  the  Annual  Register 
for  1771,  vol.  xiv.,  p.  98  : — 

"  April  23,  1771.  Being  St.  George's  Day,  was  held  the  anniversary  feast 
of  the  laudable  Society  of  Anti-Gallicans.  They  went  in  procession  to 
Stepney  Church,  where  the  Rev.  Mr.  Evans,  chaplain  to  the  Rt.  Hon.  the 
Lord  Mayor,  preached  an  excellent  sermon,  suitable  to  the  occasion." 

At  page  293  of  the  same  volume  of  Notes  and  Queries  is  mentioned  the  fact 
that  "in  1749  the  Anti-Gallicans  had  their  headquarters  at  Ratcliff  Cross." 
A  visit  of  the  society  to  some  notable  parish  church  in  the  East  of  London 
would  seem  to  have  been  an  annual  event. 

f  St.  George's-in-the-East , 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


45 


1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

of  his  legs.  M.  Stafford  came  this  Afternoon 
and  staid  Tea. 

S.  2b.  A  fine  Day.  Received  a  letter  from  Constantia 
at  Newcastle,  informing  us  of  her  safe  arrivall 
there  with  the  rest  of  the  friends  last  fourth  day 
[Wednesday,  April  23rd]  in  the  afternoon.* 
Father  &  Delia  rode  out  in  the  Chaise  & 
returned  in  the  Evening. 

£>.  27.  First  day  of  the  Week.  A  Meeting  was  held 
this  Day  at  Mims.f  Father,  Mother  &  M.  Stafford 
went  in  the  Chaise  &  I  on  the  new  Horse  to  it. 
Many  friends  attended  both  from  London  & 
other  parts.  We  dined  at  the  Cross  Keys,  but 
was  not  so  comfortably  entertained  as  we  cou'd 
wish  owing  to  the  great  Number  of  Friends  in 
the  House,  as  there  was  upwards  of  Forty  in 
Company  ;  however  we  all  had  a  share  of  what 
was  to  be  had,  &  we  returned  with  Cousin  Tottle  | 
to  Tottenham  &  drank  tea  at  her  House,  &  then 
came  home,  being  favoured  throughout  with  a 
charming  fine  day. 

M.        28.    Committee  day.    Left  alone  in  the  afternoone. 

I  feel  the  Effects  to-dav  of  yesterdav's  ride. 


Tu.  29.  Recover'd  from  the  fatigue  of  Riding.  Went 
this  Morning  to  the  British  Museum  in  Com- 
pany with  Delia,  M.  Stafford,  &  Sarah  Lillwall. 
M.  Stafford  procured  us  the  Tickets.    We  were 

*  The  journey  by  sea,  with  a  favourable  wind,  took  four  days. 

t  South  Mims,  near  Chipping  Barnet,  often  mentioned  by  George  Fox  in 
his  journal,  from  1677  onwards.  Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  ut  supra, 
p.  299. 

J  ?  Tothill. 


46  LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 

1777. 

4  Mo.  [April.] 

too  late  to  see  some  of  the  Articles,  yet  we  saw 
more  than  our  Memories  could  retain.  The 
number,  Elegance  &  Antiquity  of  its  Curiosities 
were  very  amazing.  Came  home  to  Dinner  & 
spent  the  Afternoon  in  Care  &  Toil. 

W.       30.    Nothing  remarkable. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

Th.        1.    Brewing  day  &  a  deal  to  do.    Brother  Miller 
came  to  town  &  lodged  with  me. 

F.  2.    Brew'd  Ale  to  day  an  addittional  Share  for  me, 

but  we  finished  soon.    Brother  is  gone  home. 

S.  3.    A  fine  Day.    Nothing  to  record. 

£>.  4.    First  Day  of  the  Week.    A  wet  Morning.  A 

Meeting  to  be  held  at  Cheshunt  *  this  day, 
beginning  at  Eleven.  Was  to  be  at  it  with 
Uncle  Job  &  Wife,  they  in  our  Chaise  &  I  on 
Horseback,  but  we  had  declined  going,  the 
morning  being  so  rainy.  However  there  was 
a  little  intermission  at  nine  o'clock  &  the  Sun 
peeped  out,  which  then  induced  me  to  haste 
away,  &  being  fitted  out  with  all  speed,  I  went 
off  alone,  but  had  not  rode  four  Miles  before 
I  wished  myself  at  Home,  for  a  steady  small 
rain  came  on,  which  seemed  as  though  it  would 

*  Situated  some  two  miles  north  of  Waltham  Abbey,  and  about  three 
miles  south  of  Broxbourne.  Cheshunt  meeting  was  probably  the  outcome  of 
the  small  meeting  at  Flamstead  End,  held  in  a  building  hired  from  the 
Widow  Cooke  in  1672,  of  which  no  record  exists  after  1707.  The  meeting  at 
Cheshunt  is  last  mentioned  in  the  Book  of  Meetings  in  1820.  George  Fox 
often  visited  Friends  at  Cheshunt. —  Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  ut  supra, 
p.  298.  1  he  meetings  at  Mims  and  Cheshunt  had  by  this  time  come  to  be 
held  occasionally,  probably  only  in  the  summer. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


47 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

continue  for  most  of  the  Day,  &  meeting  with 
no  Company  that  I  thought  was  bound  to  the 
same  place  I  was  going  to.  I  thought  there  was 
not  much  Necessity  to  proceed,  so  I  put  up  at  the 
Georg  [sic]  &  Vulture  at  Tottenham,  determining 
to  ride  no  further  in  the  Rain.  As  soon  as  I  had 
got  under  Shelter  in  the  Inn.  the  Rain  ceased 
&  a  couple  of  Friends  past  by  on  Horses  :  this 
gave  me  fresh  Courage,  &  mounting  again  as 
soon  as  I  could,  pursued  after  them  :  it  was 
now  Ten  when  I  left  the  Inn.  but  I  got  to 
meeting  before  many  others.  It  was  full,  and 
visited  by  T.  Letchworth  &  others,  &  here 
I  met  with  Brother  and  Sister  Miller  from 
Ware  ;  they  Came  in  a  post  Chaise  &  brought 
M.  Stafford  with  them,  who  had  been  with  them 
most  of  the  Week  on  a  Visit.  We  dined 
together  at  the  Widow  Moline's  at  Wormlev, 
took  our  pleasure  in  her  Gardens.  &  staid  till 
Tea.  &  then  departed  home.  I  returned  to 
London  in  ye  Company  of  In0  Sparks  Moline 
&  a  Cousin  of  theirs.  We  had  a  very  pleasant 
Evening  till  we  came  to  Tottenham,  when  a 
heavv  Shower  fell,  &  obliged  us  to  wait  under 
the  weighing  Engine  at  Stamford  hill  till  it 
was  most  over  ;  then  we  retreated  home,  &  I 
parted  with  my  Companions  at  the  end  of 
Houndsditch  in  Bishopgate  Street,  &  arrived 
at  my  post  ante  g  very  well  pleased  with  my 
Journey. 

M.         5.    A  tine  Day.    Much  to  do. 

Tu.        6.    More  work  to  day  than  the  preceeding,  the  Ale 


48 


LEAVES    EROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

being  cleansed  to  Night  ;  however  I  went 
before  all  the  Small  was  Cask'd  to  Bishopgate 
Street  to  take  places  in  the  Ware  Coach  for 
Mere  &  Delia  to  go  to  Brother  Miller's  Tomoro' 
afternoon.  Called  at  Uncle  Job's  to  acquaint 
them  of  the  proceedings  of  first  day  [Sunday, 
May  4].  From  thence  to  Cornhill  to  buy 
Oranges  to  be  carried  to  Ware,  &  then  returned. 

W.  7.  Fair  Weather.  An  uncommon  deal  of  Beer 
carried  out  to-day,  which  made  the  men  late 
home  &  the  cleansing  &  reckoning  late,  being 
very  near  Eleven  before  Father  &  I  could  come 
to  supper  ;  twas  lucky  for  us  there  was  nobody 
to  wait  supper  for  us  excepting  the  Servants, 
Nesta,  Mere,  &  Delia  having  retired.  From  our 
Mansion  this  afternoon  the  first  was  going  to 
the  Widow  Satterthwaite,  Mere  &  Delia  to  take 
Coach  in  Bishop  Gate  Street  to  go  to  Ware,  & 
I  accompanied  them  to  the  Inn  ;  we  all  went 
in  one  Coach  as  far  as  Aldgate,  then  we  left 
Nesta  to  proceed  by  herself  &  went  to  the  Inn, 
where  I  saw  them  into  the  Coach  &  then  returned 
home. 

Th.  S.  Fifth  day  of  the  Week.  Wrent  to  our  Meeting 
this  Morning  &  staid  at  home  all  the  Evening. 

F.  9.    Went  to  Uncle  Job's  with  a  Load  of  Copper 

according  to  the  Custom  of  every  Week.  Found 
him  still  indisposed  with  his  Leg  hurt ;  not  so 
much  as  to  confine  him  from  his  Business.  The 
rest  of  his  Family  tolerable  well.  Patty  not  yet 
returned  from  Ware. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


49 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

S.  io.  A  fine  Day.  Father  goes  to  Ware  in  the  Chaise 
to  bring  Mere  &  Delia  home. 

5.  ii.  First  Day  of  the  Week.  Went  to  Ratcliff  in 
the  morning  &  to  Devonshire  house  Meeting  in 
the  Afternoon.  Quite  alone,  all  our  family 
being  in  the  country  except  myself ;  but  there 
was  a  full  board  at  dinner  having  the  Company 
of  3  old  Women  and  4  Young  men.  The  day 
was  fine  &  I  intended  to  be  out  in  the  Evening, 
but  was  disappointed  by  a  storm  of  Hail  which 
happened  just  after  Meeting. 

M.  12.  Chief  Manager  to  Day,  &  things  for  the  most 
part  worked  Kindly.  All  our  Ramblers  returned 
to  day  &  we  had  the  full  Complement  at  supper. 

Tu.  13.  Much  to  day,  but  concluded  well  &  praised  for 
Yesterday's  performance. 

W.       14.    The  usual  Share  of  Toil,  going  to  rest  post  10. 

Th.  15.  Rose  at  6.  Went  to  our  week  day  Meeting  in 
the  Morning ;  tarried  at  home  all  the  Evening. 

Fr.       16.    Wet  Morning.    Went  to  Uncle  Job's  as  usual. 

Called  at  the  stationer's  coming  home  &  brought 
the  Beauties  of  England  with  me,  which  I  had 
given  him  to  bind  the  week  before.  This  After- 
noon William  Alexander  came  to  Town  with 
Hollis.*  They  both  lodged  at  our  house 
Constantia  returns  to  day  from  the  North. 
Came  by  Land  and  reached  home  about  ten  this 
night ;  she  departed  from  Newcastle  in  the 
*  Son  of  his  Aunt  Susanna  Clayton  (1766 — 1830). 
4 


50 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

Coach  about  2.0  o'clock  on  fourth  day  morning* 
[Wednesday,  May  14]. 

S.  17.  Went  this  Morning  with  cousin  Hollis  to  see 
him  into  the  Chiswick  Coach  t  in  the  Strand, 
fine  Day  &  rather  at  Liesure  [sic] . 

S.        18.    First  Day  of  the  Week  &  Yearly  Meeting  Week. 

Went  this  morning  to  our  Meeting  at  Ratcliff, 
which  was  crowded,  &  visited  by  divers  Country 
Friends,  &  many  Testimonies  was  delivered. 
Came  home  without  one  Stranger  to  dinner 
except  Aunt  Eliza,  |  who  came  when  we  had 
partly  ended.  Went  to  same  Meet"  in  Affter- 
noon,  which  was  Silent ;  returned  home  to  Tea. 
After  Supper  accompanied  my  Aunt  part  of  her 
way  home. 

M.  19.  Staid  at  home  all  this  Day.  Father  went  to 
Gracechurch  Meeting  this  Afternoon  where  the 
Business  is  Transacted  every  year  ;  the  Females 
to  Devonshire  house  Meeting,  which  is  their 
Synod. §  They  returned  with  the  Addition  of 
Ann  Fleet  &  Wm  Alexander's  Wife  about  eight 
o'Clock.  Sister  Miller  came  from  Ware  this 
Morning. 

Tu.  20.  Rained  hard  for  most  of  ye  Night  &  still 
continues  all  this  Morning  without  ceasing. 
Was  permitted  to  go  to  Meetg  this  fore  noon 
&  was  accompanied  there  with  Friend  Alexander. 

*  The  journey  by  coach,  therefore,  occupied  nearly  three  days. 

f  Returning  to  his  home.        \  Elizabeth  Pryor. 

§  Cf.  p.  36.  The  Women's  meeting  only  was  then  held  at  Devonshire 
House.    The  Men  did  not  migrate  from  Gracechurch  Street  until  civ.  1794. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  EAST 


51 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

His  great  Coat  was  wet  through,  being  but  thin. 
The  Meeting  not  crowded  as  is  usual,  the 
Chief  business  was  reading  the  Answers  to  the 
Queries  from  the  Several  Counties  &  making 
remarks  thereon.  This  Afternoon  Cousin 
Thomas  Wildsmith,*  lately  come  from  Doncaster 
to  settle  in  London,  coming  to  this  part  of  the 
town  to  see  his  Sister  Elizth  called  at  our  house, 
from  whence  I  went  with  him  to  find  her,  she 
having  lately  hired  herself  to  one  Cockfield 
a  Ship  Chandler  in  Wapping,  where  I  left  him, 
and  crossed  the  Thames  to  Horsleydo\vn,t  to 
which  meeting  I  went,  it  being  open  this  after- 
noon &  was  generally  filled  with  Women,  & 
most  of  the  preaching  came  from  that  sex,  the 
Men  being  generally  at  Meeting  for  Business. 
After  the  Meeting  had  a  small  Interview  with 
a  most  agreable  [word  obliterated],  after  which 
I  hurried  to  Whitehart  Court  J  to  the  mens' 
Meeting,  which  was  not  concluded.  I  found  it 
very  full  and  extreemely  hot,  but  most  of  what 
was  done  after  I  was  there  was  adjourning  it  to 
4  o'clock  to  morrow  afternoon ;  then  I  came 
home  &  was  well  wetted,  for  it  rained  from  the 
conclusion  of  Horsleydown  meeting  till  after  I 
got  home  no  small  pace. 

*  Related  through  Elizabeth  Wildsmith,  first  wife  of  John  Allin  or 
Allen,  of  Thorpe  Salvin  ;  possibly  descended  from  Thomas  Wildsmith  and 
Elizabeth  Allen.  —  Vide  pedigree,  Slip  I. 

t  Originally  held  in  "  Widow  Webb's  garden,"  in  Fair  Street,  Southwark, 
about  1655.  Built  in  16C3,  it  was  demolished  by  order  of  the  Council,  under 
circumstances  of  great  cruelty,  in  1670.  Rebuilt  in  1671  and  again  in  1739, 
it  was  sold  in  1800.  In  1869  it  was  "  still  used  by  Friends  as  a  Temperance 
Hall,  and  for  other  purposes." — Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  lit  supra, 
pp.  216-219. 

t  The  old  name  for  Gracechurch  Street  Meeting. 


52 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

W.  21.  Went  to  Ratcliff  Meeting  this  Morng.  Several 
Friends  from  Kent  dined  with  us.  Father  goes 
to  Meeting  in  the  Afternoon,  so  I  was  obliged 
to  handle  the  labouring  Oar  all  the  Evening  till 
near  io  o'Clock,  it  being  a  busy  Day  &  his 
absence  made  it  more  so. 

Th.  22.  No  Meeting  this  Morning  except  the  Women's 
at  Devonshire  House,  so  of  consequence  tarried 
at  home  till  the  evening,  when  a  Meet8  for 
Worship  was  held  at  the  same  Place,  to  which 
I  went ;  it  was  very  much  crowded.  Sat  in  the 
Gallery,  there  being  no  room  below,  opposite  to 
a  decora  filia  mentioned  in  the  20th.  Just  passed 
a  Complement  with  the  same  coming  out  of 
Meetg ;  at  the  breaking  up  all  the  passage 
was  remarkably  filled ;  it  rained  when  we  came 
out,  so  went  for  a  Coach.  Sisters  &  self,  Ann 
Fleet  &  Cousin  Tottle  with  her  Daughter  filled 
it.  Cousin  had  her  pocket  picked  of  all  the 
Money  in  it,  which  has  been  the  case  with 
numbers  [of]  other  friends  this  Yearly  Meeting, 
some  of  Whom  lost  their  Watches  also. 

F.  23  Gatton*  Morning;  stuck  to  that  while  Father 
went  to  Meeting.  In  the  afternoon  went  out 
also  at  6  o'clock  to  a  Meetg  at  Wappg ;  was 
pretty  well  filled,  divers  publick  friends  preached, 
one  rather  singular,  &  held  the  Meet8  long. 

S.         24.    Attended  the  Meetg  for  Business  this  Morng, 


*  Appears  to  be  either  the  name  of  some  village  where  orders  were 
received,  or  the  name  of  some  firm  engaged  in  the  brewing  trade.  It  occurs 
regularly  on  Tuesdays  and  Eridays. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


53 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

which  was  entirely  finished,  but  held  till  2  o'clock 
in  the  Afternoon ;  came  home  &  dined  with 
Uncle  Moses*  &  his  Son  after  all  the  rest.  Sister 
Miller  took  Coach  for  home  as  soon  as  we  came 
in  ;  after  dinner  set  my  face  towards  Lambeth, 
accompanied  Uncle  &  his  Son  to  the  Poultry, 
where  he  had  some  business  ;  as  soon  as  he  had 
concluded  I  obtained  leave  for  Son  to  proceed  on 
with  me;  we  walked  through  the  City  observing 
everything  curious  in  our  Way  till  we  came  to 
Pall  Mall,  when  we  went  to  see  the  Royall 
Academy,  having  some  time  had  an  Inclination 
thereto.  Here  we  saw  such  a  Number  of  fine 
&  pleasing  Drawings  our  Eves  never  before 
beheld.  When  we  had  spent  as  much  time  as 
we  could  well  spare,  we  walked  out  towards  our 
Goal,  but  mistook  the  Way  ;  however  with  little 
disadvantage ;  for,  turning  into  James's  Park, 
walked  through  part  of  it,  which  was  very 
pleasant  to  me  &  from  thence  to  Lambeth, 
which  we  reached  about  seven,  &  were  treated 
by  Aunt  f  with  some  slices  of  Ham  &  Beer.  Cast 
up  some  accounts  for  her  &  rested  ourselves  in 
the  interior,  &  then  withdrew  home  to  supper. 
Omitted  to  mention  that  William  Alexander  & 
Wife  &  Ann  Fleet  departed  from  our  Mansion 
this  Morng  with  a  design  to  return  Home. 

5.  25.  First  day  of  the  Week.  Went  to  Ratcliff  in  the 
Morning,  which  was  visited  by  divers  country 
Friends,  particularly  Joseph  Proctor  of  Yorkshire, 
who  with  his  daughter  came  in  Company  with 

*  Moses  Kendall,  younger  son  of  Moses  and  Ann  Kendall,  of  Charlbury, 
born  1720.    Cf.  note,  p.  34. 

t  Elizabeth  Pryor. 


54 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

Constantia  from  the  North  in  the  Coach.  In 
the  afternoon  attended  Devonshire  House 
Meeting,  which  was  crowded  beyond  expectation 
&  very  hot ;  sat  in  the  Gallery  &  had  an  agreable 
view  of  venesta*  Nata  whenever  I  chose.  Walked 
round  Spittalfields  home,  but  was  there  before 
any  of  ye  family  that  was  gone  to  Meeting,  part 
of  whom  went  to  Ratcliff,  &  part  to  Wappg. 
Wm  Gunnf  came  &  smoked  a  pipe  in  the  evening, 
after  whom  came  Thos  Squire  of  Hemsted,  who 
was  my  preceptor  ;  he  staid  Supper,  &  then  I 
attended  him  with  Lanthorn  and  Candle  into 
Goodmansfield,  &  there  left  him,  from  thence 
came  home  &  went  to  Bed. 

M.  26.  Worked  away  in  Morn-.  Uncle  &  his  Son 
departed  home  in  the  Afternoon.  Cousin 
Marshman  of  Newington  drop'd  in  at  dinner 
time  &  dined  with  us.  Attended  the  Brewhouse 
close  this  Afternoon,  it  being  committee  day. 


Tu.  27.  A  fine  day  with  respect  to  Weather,  but  con- 
trarily  so  with  me,  being  a  laborious  one  mixed 
with  Bitterness  occasioned  by  the  ill  Temper  of 
an  unreasonable  father  ;  loaded  with  vexation 
in  the  Day  &  much  Grief  at  night,  never  to  be 
forgot  by  me  but  perhaps  [words  obliterated, 
"for  my  good"]  in  the  end.  Conscious  of  no 
Guilt  on  my  side. 

*  Venusta. 

t  William  Gunn,  of  Ratcliff  Highway,  patten-maker,  ob.  1828,  at.  90, 
described  as  "retired  tradesman."  By  his  will,  dated  August  25th,  1813,  he 
founded  the  still-existing  "William  Gunn's  Trust"  for  distribution  among 
poor  Friends. 


WILLIAM  ALLEN, 

OF  THORPE  SALVIN,  WAPPING,  AND  WARE. 
I  729  l808. 


OF  WAPPING. 

{The  Diarist.) 


1757  — 1808. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


57 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

W.  28.  Much  moderated  to  day  by  the  Interposition  of 
certain  of  ye  Family  in  my  Behalf  last  night, 
therefore  past  this  Day  more  tolerable. 

Th.  29.  Deal  work  in  the  morn8  ;  father  went  to 
Meeting,  but  tarried  at  home  all  the  Afternoon, 
an  unpleasant  time  for  me  not  being  able  to 
do  hardly  anything  without  incurring  his  Dis- 
pleasure, almost  drove  to  Despair. 

F.  30.  Fine  Day.  Took  the  Chaise  horse  in  the  Truck 
loaded  with  Beer,  put  the  Cooper  on  also,  & 
proceeded  with  him  to  Uncle's,  left  the  Cooper 
there  &  came  home  with  him  not  the  nearest 
wav,  leading  him  through  those  places  in  the 
Road  that  seemed  the  heaviest  drawing,  on 
purpose  to  exercise  &  make  him  sober,  not 
haying  been  for  some  time  employed  on  any 
Labour.  When  we  came  home  we  both  swet 
[sic]  very  profusely,  but  he  had  much  the 
Greatest  share.  After  dinner  cleaned  the  Horse 
with  help,  got  the  Chaise  ready,  set  father, 
Delia,  &  Constantia  off  in  it.  Twas  bv  Con- 
stantia's  Desire  I  had  the  trouble  with  him  in 
the  Morn-,  she  fearfull  to  trust  herself  with  him 
till  he  had  been  tamed.  They  went  to  Green- 
wich, walked  in  the  Park  &  brought  home  some 
of  the  May  thorn.  &  had  a  very  pleasant  After- 
noon. The  \York  done  at  home,  tho'  backward 
at  first,  was  soon  done,  the  men  working  uncom- 
monly chearfull.  A  tolerable  day  with  me.  only 
a  little  taste  of  the  spleen,  we*  being  mostly 
separate. 

*  His  father  and  himself. 


58 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

5  Mo.  [May.] 

S.  31.  Rose  ante  5.  Tended  Willm*  at  his  Reading  in 
my  Chamber  till  post  6,  then  went  to  Work  & 
cleaned,  Greased,  &  housed  the  Chaise  before 
breakfast  ;  Read  a  little  &  did  some  problems 
in  Trigonometry  before  dinner,  at  which  time 
father  offered  me  the  Horse  to  ride  out.  I 
accordingly  accepted  it  &  mounted  him  about 
4  o'clock,  &  proceeded  as  far  as  Rumford  by 
J  after  5  where  I  put  up,  took  a  little  refresh- 
ment, then  walked  thro'  the  Town,  which  was 
neat  &  pleasant,  as  far  as  a  Park,  where  I  sat 
down  under  a  Tree  upon  a  bench  near  a  piece 
of  water,  which  added  to  the  Scene  ;  the 
Country  all  around  was  extremely  Beautiful, 
&  rendered  more  so  by  an  unclouded  and  serene 
Air,  accompanied  by  a  Gentle  Breeze,  very 
acceptable  to  the  Traveller.  Left  Romford 
\  after  6,  came  by  Wm  Knight's, f  but  could  not 
stop  for  fear  of  being  too  late,  &  from  thence 
over  part  of  the  Forest,  &  met  his  Daughter  in  a 
little  cart  returning  home  ;  arrived  in  Bett's 
Street  I  \  ante  9. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

5.  1.    First  Day  of  the  Week.    William  came  to  my 

Bedside,  &  heard  him  read  part  of  a  Lesson. 
Rose  about  seven,  helped  get  the  Chaise  &  horses 
ready,  one  of  which  Uncle  Job  was  [to]  ride  to 

*  William  Allen,  the  well-known  chemist  and  philanthropist  (1770-1843), 
then  aged  seven. 

f  ?  Father  of  William  Knight,  who  married  J.  A.'s  sister  Priscilla  in  1782. 

I  Now  spelt  Betts  Street ;  a  dingy  back  street  connecting  Cable  Street, 
Shadwell  (St.  Chad's  Well),  with  Ratcliff  Highway.  The  principal  buildings 
now  are  a  London  County  Council  ("  Board  ")  School  and  some  public  baths. 
William  Allen's  house  and  brewery  were  situated  here. 


WILLIAM   ALLEN,  F  R.S., 

Eldest  Son  of  Job  Allen  and  Margaret  Stafford. 

1770— 1843. 


MARY  ALLEN, 

Only  daughter  of  Wm.  Allen,  of  [Hough  Court. 

Married  Cornelius  Hanbury,  and  died  after  the  birth 
of  her  first  child,  Wm.  Allen  Hanbury. 

1797— 1823. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


63 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

Chiswick  in  Company  with  Father,  who  goes  in 
the  Chaise  with  Constantia  &  Uncle's  Wife.* 
When  they  had  departed,  I  got  ready  &  went  to 
Ratcliff  Meetg  with  Delia.  We  were  late,  occa- 
sioned by  our  Waiting  for  a  Coach  that  was  to 
take  the  Matrons,  which  came  not.  A  Silent 
Meeting.  In  the  Afternoon  with  the  same  Com- 
panion went  to  Devonshire  House.  Came  home 
after  Meetg  &  put  on  other  Cloaths  &  took  a 
Walk  with  Walter!  and  William.  Came  to  the 
Waters  Side,  took  a  boat  &  help[ed]  row  down 
to  Limehouse.  The  performance  of  Walter 
occasioned  much  Mirth.  By  his  making  a  false 
pull  [he]  missed  the  water  &  fell  backwards 
upon  the  Waterman's  shins,  whereby  he  changed 
the  Muscles  of  the  poor  man's  Face  in  a  pitiiull 
manner.  We  landed,  walked  further  down,  took 
another  boat,  &  rowed  all  the  Way  back  ;  then 
came  home,  &  heard  William  read  a  little, 
where  we  were  joined  by  rest  of  the  Family  that 
came  from  Chiswick. 

M.  2.    Brewing  to-day  ;  attended  it  close  from  early  in 

the  morng  till  late  at  Night,  except  in  the  after- 
noon snatched  a  little  time  to  conduct  the 
Chaise  to  the  Wheeler's,  it  having  received 
some  Damage  in  some  of  its  Excursions. 

T.  3.    Brewing  as  before.    A  very  hot  Day.  Orders 

pour  in  uncommonly  fast ;  can  hardly  supply 
them.    Concluded  tolerable  soon. 

W.        4.    Much  to  Carry  out,  so  that  both  Drays  &  men 

*  Margaret  Stafford, 
t  There  is  no  clue  to  Walter's  identity.    Possibly  he  was  one  of  the 
brewery  "  hands." 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

returned  not  the  last  time  till  near  nine  o'clock. 
The  whole  Guile  *  to  be  cleansed  to  night,  & 
nobody  to  do  it  besides  father  &  self.  Applied 
to  Walter  for  his  help.  Very  unwilling  to  yield 
at  first ;  after  some  time  came,  &  his  help 
forwarded  much,  so  was  greatly  eased  thereby, 
&  ended  about  ten  o'clock. 

This  day  the  King's  birth  day;t  no  fire  works 
at  Tower  Hill.    Day  &  Night  almost  Sultry. 

Th.  5.  Brewing  to-day.  Yesterday's  Guile  shrinks 
amazingly.  Father  goes  to  meetg  this  morning. 
Leaves  me  in  it,  as  has  been  his  custom  lately 
in  order  to  make  more  perfect  in  it,  as  he 
intends  to  take  a  tour  to  the  North  this  Summer, 
therefore  am  more  closely  attached  to  the 
Copper  &c.  than  I  used  to  be. 

F.  6.    Brewing  again  to  Day,  as  we  find  the  quantity 

already  Brewed  not  near  sufficient  for  the 
Orders  that  we  expect.  The  Wind  shifted 
N.E.,  consequently  the  weather  more  cool,  and 
the  Fire  I  not  so  disagreeable.  Rose  at  6. 
Going  to  bed  at  11. 

S.  7.    Rose  about  Seven.    Assisted  loading  out  in  the 

morn"  till  about  Breakfast,  after  that  taken 
up  in  the  counting  house,  then  prepared  casks 
to  put  the  Beer  in  that  was  brewed  yesterday. 
The   afternoon   well  filled  up  with  Cleansing 

*  Guile,  or  Gyle,  of  ale  or  beer,  a  brewing,  the  quantity  brewed  at  one 
time. — Bailey's  Dictionary.    Ditto,  Murray. 

The  word  has  a  secondary  meaning,  "  Wort  in  process  of  fermentation." 

t  George  III.  was  born  May  24th,  1738;  but,  owing  to  the  change  of 
calendar  in  1752,  it  came  to  be  observed  on  June  4th,  as  it  still  is  at  Eton. 

\  In  the  brewery. 


HANNAH  ALLEN. 
1783— 1867. 

Eldest  daughtei  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Allk 
From  a  portrait, 
Given  to  S.  J.  J.  Fox  on  August  11,  1870. 


5 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


67 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

&c,  but  it  was  sooner  finished  than  expected: 
having  got  a  good  partner  at  the  Slings.*  and 
no  bad  master  at  the  pump,  made  the  Labour 
seem  very  pleasant.  Therefore  this  Week  in 
which  we  run  throw  [sic]  a  deal  of  Business 
concluded  well,  and  partaking  but  of  a  small 
share  of  what  I  call  the  Spleen  made  the 
Sufferance  of  it  the  more  agreeable,  except  a 
short  Altercation  to-night  with  the  Females 
about  not  attending  meal  time  immediately 
when  called,  of  which  they  complained  heavily 
and  judged  wrongfully,  it  being  an  unavoidable 
Greivanse  [sic]  and  not  in  their  province  rightly 
to  understand  the  Cause.  Cousin  Hollis  came 
to-night  in  order  to  be  ready  for  the  Coach  on 
2d  day. 

S.  8.    First  Day  of  the  Week.    Rose  about  7.  Went 

to  Ratcliff  in  the  morn,  to  Devonshire  house 
in  the  afternoon,  then  to  Uncle's  to  Tea  with 
Cousin  Hollis  to  take  his  Leave  of  his  Uncle 
before  he  goes  to  School.  S.  C.  was  not  there, 
the  2d  Disappointment.  Walked  round  the  fields 
home.  After  supper  went  with  Aunt  Bessy4-  part 
of  the  way  home,  then  returned  to  bed. 

M.  9.  Rose  about  6.  Attended  the  Mashing,  then  the 
Books  till  Breakfast.  After  that  went  with 
Cousin  Hollis  to  London  Bridge  to  meet  the 
Rochester  Coach,  which  we  did.  When  I  had 
put  him  in.  returned  home  and  finished  the  day 
with  the  usual  Labour. 

*  "A  rope  by  which  a  cask  or  bale  is  suspended." — Ogilvie. 
f  Elizabeth  Prycr 


68 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

Tu.  &  W.     The  same  Share  of  toil  all  these  Days  as  is 
io,  ii.    usual  on  the  same  days  of  the  Week. 

Th.  12.  Brewing  day.  Father  went  to  meeting  in  the 
Morning.  Brother  Miller  came  to  Dinner,  as 
also  friend  Gredly  of  Bow  with  her  Daughter. 
They  returned  after  tea.  A  fine  day  and 
finished  soon. 


F.  13.  Our  Chaise  came  home  this  Morning  from  the 
Wheeler's  after  its  repair.  Constantia,  desiring 
a  ride  in  the  Afternoon,  obtained  leave  of  father 
for  us  to  have  the  Chaise,  &  I  being  to  go  to 
Uncle's  this  Morng  with  Change  carried  an 
invitation  for  M.  Stafford  to  join  with  us  in  our 
Excursion.  When  I  finished  my  Business  with 
Uncle  was  informed  the  aforesaid  M.  S.  was  gone 
to  Meeting  ;  then  I  went  into  the  City,  in  many 
places  of  which  I  was  forced  to  stand  up  on 
Account  of  the  Rain,  which  began  soon  after 
I  left  Uncle's,  &  continued  till  dinner  time  ; 
however  I  went  &  waited  at  the  Meetg  door 
&  delivered  my  Message  to  Patty,  leaving  her 
at  liberty  to  come,  so  not  (that  is)  perswading 
neither  way,  the  day  being  so  foul  &  no  likeli- 
hood of  its  being  better,  or  at  least  no  agreable 
travelling;  notwithstanding  which  she  came  to 
dinner  with  us,  not  without  being  pretty  well 
wetted  in  some  places  &  forced  to  change  some 
Garments ;  after  dinner  an  intermission  of  rain, 
though  very  cloudy  &  without  the  smallest 
appearance  of  bright  Phoebus ;  however,  the 
Maidens,  unwilling  to  be  disappointed,  ordered 
me  to  prepare  the  Carriage.    I  obeyed  as  soon 


CHARLES  ALLEN, 
-ITAT.  46, 

OF  COGGE SHALL  (ESSEX  |  AND  ISLEWORTH. 

Elder  Son  of  John  Allen. 

1792—1839. 

From  a  portrait, 
-Given  to  his  daughter,  Sarah  Angell  Allen,  1838. 


ELIZABETH  ALLEN, 

NEE  HARRIS. 
I788—  1  862. 

From  a  portrait, 

Given  to  her  daughter,  Sarah  Angel!  Allen, 
New  Year's  Day,  1840. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


73 


1777. 

6  Mo.  'June.] 

as  I  was  made  to  believe  they  were  in  earnest, 
&  with  as  much  haste  as  possible  had  all  things 
ready  with  a  little  Help  at  the  latter  part.  & 
though  I  dispatched  the  Business  as  quick  as 
I  could,  I  did  not  proceed  fast  enough  for  them, 
oftentimes  interrupting  me  with  the  ungenerous 
language  of  slow  santering,  etc.  :  we  set  off  and 
rode  very  cheerfully  towards  Romford.  Constantia 
having  a  desire  to  see  that  Town.  When  we 
had  advanced  a  few  miles  from  Home  the  Roads 
were  very  pleasant,  not  being  near  so  wet  as 
we  expected  to  find  them  after  so  much  ram. 
which  with  the  fair  Weather  that  ensued,  the 
Agreable  Company,  &  the  view  of  all  Nature 
smiling  around  us  made  ve  Afternoon  extremely 
Delightfull.  Put  up  at  the  Bell  if  I  mistake  not. 
had  a  dish  of  Coffee,  then  walked  up  the  Town 
quite  through  it  for  about  J  a  mile  :  turned  aside 
into  a  park,  in  which  was  a  Gentleman's  Seat, 
which  we  viewed  &  returned  leisurely  back, 
it  being  near  time  to  think  of  Home.  Came  to 
the  Inn.  had  the  Chaise  ready  and  got  in  with 
M.  S.  not  only  near  in  [word  obliterated,  appears 
to  be  "thought"],  but  also  near  in  person  [word 
partially  obliterated]  Constantia  sit[t]ing  on  the 
other  side  ;  in  this  order  we  rode  to  Betts  Street, 
several  times  regretting  the  leaving  the  Country 
in  so  delightfull  a  time.  Arrived  safe  about 
g  ante.*  supped  &  went  home  with  M.  S.  about  io, 
whose  company  never  at  any  time  seemed  more 
[word  totally  obliterated],  then  came  back 
went  to  Bed  much  pleased  with  the  Indulgence 

*  ?  Post 


74 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

of  this  Holliday  &  charmed  with  the  enjoy- 
ments thereof. 

S.  14.  A  Busy  day,  partly  taken  up  with  the  usual 
concerns,  but  the  greater  part  in  cleaning 
minutely  the  Chaise  &  Harness  that  it  may  be 
in  good  order  for  the  next  Journey,  which  is  to 
be  to  the  North,  father  intending  to  depart  from 
home  to-morrow  to  go  once  more  to  Yorkshire 
to  see  his  aged  Parents,  who  are  not  like  to  live 
till  another  Year,  being  very  feeble  &  far 
advanced  in  Years,  &  according  to  the  course 
of  nature  cannot  hold  it  long.*  Mother  is  to 
accompany  him  only.  A  rainy  day;  thought  we 
were  greatly  favoured  Yesterday  afternoon,  the 
Morning  being  so  coarse  &  this  day  the  same. 

5.        15.    First  day  of  the  Week,  &  the  time  appointed 

for  the  grand  departure  draws  very  near,  it  being 

this  Afternoon  ;  a  poor  prospect  as  to  Weather, 

being  a  dark  day  with  a  continuing  Small  Rain. 

All  went  to  Ratcliff  Meeting  in  the  Morning. 

Returned  home  to  dinner,  where  we  met  Uncle 

Job  &  his  two  eldest  sonsf  together  with  agreable 

M.  S. ;   after  dinner  prepared  the  setting  out, 

being  dry  above  head  ;  and  they  accordingly, 

after  taking  leave  of  all  the  Friends  related, 

went  off  proposing  to  proceed  no  further  than 

Ware  this  Day,  &  there  lodge  the  first  night. 

We  went  this  Afternoon  to  Ratcliff  Meetg,  & 

after  tea  I  had  a  Walk  into  the  Borough,  to 

Inform  some  friends  to  whom  Delia  was  to  go 

this  Afternoon  in  order  to  be  ready  for  the 

*  Vide  note  at  page  81.  Ob.  1779,  Mary  Allen  predeceasing  her  husband 
by  a  few  months.  t  Vide  note  at  page  36. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


77 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

Godalming  Coach  to-morrow  morning,  that  her 
going  to  School  was  put  off  on  Accc  of  an  indis- 
position of  her  Eyes.  Came  home  &  spent  the 
evening  very  agreablv  with  the  company  of 
M.  S.,  &  after  Supper  attended  her  home  to 
Steward  Street.  Uncle  went  soon  after  tea 
with  his  sons.  I  returned  &  went  to  Bed  about 
ii. 

M.  16.  Rose  this  Morning  filled  with  Hopes  Cm  fears 
least  [sic]  the  Transactions  of  this  &  the  future 
Days  wherein  I  was  to  be  intrusted  soley  [sic] 
with  the  Management  of  Business  should  not 
terminate  well,  father  having  expressed  some 
uneasiness  on  the  Reflections  of  my  Care  & 
Abilities  previous  to  his  setting  out :  however, 
I  entered  on  it  with  a  Resolution  not  daunted 
with  Despair,  &  went  thro'  the  Whole  as  well 
almost  as  I  could  wish,  nothing  being  amiss 
except  the  Worts*  down  rather  too  cool,  which 
I  rectified  this  day,  being  the  .  .  . 

Tu.  17.  Gatton  Morning,  &  Brewing  to-day  :  much 
hurried  therein,  can  hardly  gain  a  Breakfast, 
the  prospect  rather  discouraging ;  having  cooled 
the  first  Liquor  too  much  for  Mashing  had  like 
to  have  thrown  me  out  of  sorts,  but  recovered 
it  well  in  the  third  Liquors,  after  which  every- 
thing went  on  well  &  pleasant  :  the  Men 
finished  by  about  seven  &  had  the  Worts 
down  about  11  post  :  Uncles  came  this  Evening 
to  see  how  we  fared  &  went  home  after  supper ; 
Jn°  Farrand  also  supped  with  us. 
*  "  Wort.    New  drink,  either  ale  or  beer." — Bailey. 


78 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

W.  18.  Called  this  Morn  before  6,  but  did  not  rise  till 
after  the  Excisemen  took  the  Length  before 
I  came  down ;  the  Drays  out  at  J  after  7. 
Pleased  with  the  Appearance  of  ye  Beer  in  the 
Tunns,  which  afterwards  came  on  rather  too 
forward  ;  worked  Briskly  &  cleansed  it  all  By 
seven  ;  had  the  Assistance  of  old  Harman  in  the 
Afternoon  &  finished  well. 

"  Oh  may  Thy  soul  to  happier  Regions  go, 
Far  from  this  World  eternal  Bliss  to  know." 

[In  a  very  small  hand.] 

"  Would  thou  but  deign  while  thou  remainest  here 
To  give  thy  Hand  to  one  who  holds  thee  dear." 

[In  an  infinitesimally  small  hand,  only  to  be  read 
by  the  aid  of  a  magnifying  glass.] 

Th.  19.  Brewing  Day.  Rose  about  five,  Mashed,  lay 
down  again  a  very  small  Time,  tho'  small  a  great 
Refreshment.  Carried  on  Matters  chearfully  & 
well  thro'out  the  Day.  In  the  Afternoon  had 
the  Company  of  D.  &  H.  Weston,  M.  &  E. 
Belch.  After  tea  we  all  joined  in  a  Game  of 
Blindman's  Buff  very  agreably ;  we  were  soon 
set  in  a  fermenting  Heat,  which  added  a  ruby 
lustre  to  the  Cheeks  of  the  Fair  &  put  an  end 
to  the  Play.  Was  forced  to  leave  them  on  Ace* 
of  my  heavy  Charge  in  the  Brewhouse  rather 
against  my  Will.  Let  the  Wort  down  except 
one.    Back  about  Eleven  &  went  to  Bed. 

F.  20.  Rose  about  6.  A  Wet  Morns,  &  one  of  the 
Gatton  Morn5.  Very  little  sold,  the  inclemency 
of  the  Wether  [sic]  not  suffering  any  Body  to 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


si 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

go  out  without  being  wet  through.  An  easy  day. 
The  Afternoon  at  intervals  was  enlivened  by 
Bryht  Phoebus  &  the  Intermission  of  Rain. 
Yesterday's  Guile  seems  well  managed  by  the 
kindness  of  its  working  to-day.  A  rainy  evening. 
The  Work  concluded  easy  &  soon. 

S.  21.  Not  much  Business  to-day.  This  Afternoon 
received  a  letter  from  Father,  containing  account 
of  his  Arrivall  at  Worshop*  &  that  he  had  got 
down  safe;  that  his  Father t  was  well  as  could 
be  expected,  but  had  almost  lost  his  Sight ;  his 
Mother  J  in  as  good  Health  as  the  last  Time  he 
was  down  with  them.  Most  of  the  eveng  taken 
up  in  answering  father's  Letter,  carried  it  to 
post  office,  then  went  to  rest. 

5-  22.  First  Day  of  the  Week.  Went  to  Ratcliff  in 
the  Morn  &  to  Wapping  in  the  afternoon.  A 
remarkable  Wet  Day,  as  it  has  been  all  the 
Week. 

M.  23.  Brewing  as  usuall ;  everything  &  all  Hands 
worked  kindly  through. 

Tu.       24.    All  Talents  &  Time  engaged  in  Brewing,  &c. 
as  usual.    Done  soon. 

W.       25.    A  good  Face  to  the  Tunns  &  easy  afternoon. 

Late  to  Bed,  &  cleansed  all  with  the  Assistance 
of  old  David. 

*  Worksop,  Notts. 

f  John  Allin  or  Allen,  baptised  1696  at  Thorpe  Salvin,  Yorks.,  "  mason," 
afterwards  farmer,  buried  1779,  at.  83. — See  "Family  Records." 

X  Step-mother,  Mary  Stansel,  widow,  married  to  John  Allen,  1745,  ob.  1779. 

6 


82 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST 


1777. 

6  Mo,  [June.] 

Th.      26.    Brewing  again  to  Day,  went  throw  it  as  usual. 

Received  a  Letter  in  the  Afternoon,  while  the 
family  was  gone  to  Newington,  from  Parents  at 
York,  informing  us  of  their  arrival  safe  there  to 
attend  the  Quarterly  Meetg. 

F.  27.  Gatton  Morng.  Dr.  Dodd*  was  hanged  this 
Morn  for  forgery  of  a  Note  to  the  Sum  of 
£"4,200,  almost  universally  regretted.  Tho'  a 
Man  of  indifferent  Morals,  yet  had  gained  the 
Esteem  of  the  Public  by  his  extraordinary 
Abilities,  which  he  exerted  in  the  Pulpit  to  the 
Satisfaction  of  his  Hearers,  insomuch  that  the 
City  petitioned  in  his  Behalf ;  but  it  was  not 
regarded  sufficiently  to  save  him  ;  he  was 
executed  with  a  Highwayman. 

This  Afternoon  came  to  Tea  S.  Perkins  with 
a  Cousin  of  hers  from  Bristol.  Attended  them 
home  &  went  to  rest  soon  afterwards. 


S.         28.    Set   the    Drays  off,  carried   out   &  delivered 
some    Bills.      Called   at    Gracechurch  Street 

*  The  famous  (or  infamous)  Rev.  William  Dodd,  LL.D.,  preacher,  writer, 
poet,  critic,  and  divine,  who  was  hanged  at  Tyburn  for  the  forgery  of  a  note 
upon*  his  former  pupil  and  patron,  Philip  Stanhope,  Earl  of  Chesterfield, 
June  27th,  1777.  A  versatile  and  prolific  author,  he  published  inter  alia 
a  work  on  The  Beauties  of  Shakespeare.  The  interleaved  and  annotated  copy 
of  Shakespeare's  works,  which  he  used  while  compiling  this  book,  sold  in 
London  in  July,  1904,  for  ^131.  In  1772  he  published  a  pamphlet  on  The 
Frequency  of  capital  Punishment  inconsistent  with  Justice,  Sound  Policy,  and  Religion. 
Great  efforts  were  made  to  save  him  from  himself  suffering  the  extreme 
penalty  of  the  law,  but  George  III.,  influenced  (it  is  said)  by  Lord  Mansfield, 
was  obdurate.  Dr.  Johnson  visited  him  in  Newgate  Gaol,  and  composed  the 
funeral  sermon  which  Dr.  Dodd  preached  upon  himself  before  his  fellow- 
prisoners  on  the  Sunday  before  his  execution.  It  is  said  that  on  the  scaffold 
he  tried  to  persuade  the  hangman  so  to  adjust  the  noose  that  it  might  be 
possible  to  resuscitate  him  after  hanging  for  an  hour,  a  proceeding  which  was 
occasionally  known  to  be  successful.  Surgeons  were  in  attendance,  but  the 
attempt,  if  made,  was  unavailing. —  Vide  Sir  Leslie  Stephens'  article  in  the 
Dictionary  of  National  Biography,  vol.  xv. ,  pp.  155,  157,  and  for  an  account  of 
the  trial  and  death  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  for  1777,  passim. 


Married  William  Sturge  of  Bristol,  1846. 

From  a  Silhouette  by  Samuel  Met  ford,  cir.  1835. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST 


85 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

Meeting  to  know  if  Deptford*  Quarterly  Meetg 
was  to-morrow ;  it  is  not  was  informed.  Then 
proceeded  to  Paternoster  Row.  bought  two 
Geographical  Numbers,  came  home,  then  went 
&  informed  S.  P.  &  her  Cousin  concerning  the 
Meet"  at  Deptford.  After  Dinner  Booked 
the  Men  &  wrote  a  Letter  to  Father :  in  the 
Even-  carried  it  to  post.  Just  after  I  had  come 
in  M.  Stafford  came  to  the  Gate  from  Steward 
Street  to  lodge  at  our  House,  there  not  being 
room  at  Uncle's  on  Accr  of  Sickness,  with 
which  his  Third  Son  Joseph!  was  afflicted.  She 
was  herself  taken  very  ill  on  her  way  hereto. 
&  thought  she  could  not  have  reached  the 
House,  as  she  was  alone  ;  at  length  she  arrived 
after  io  o'Clock,  sat  down  a  little  Time  & 
recovered  herself  better,  &  then  went  to  Bed. 

5*        29.    M.  S.  returned  to  Spittalfields  after  Breakfast. 

We  went  all  to  Ratcliff  except  Delia  this 
Morning  :  came  home  &  dined.  Self  lay  an 
hour  to  sleep,  &  then  went  to  Meetg  again, 
&  met  with  Uncle  &  his  two  Eldest  Sons. 
Uncle  went  back,  but  his  sons  came  with  me 
home,  &  after  tea  I  conducted  them  to  their 
home,  &  in  the  Way  met  with  Decora  fillia  [sic] 
with  others  returning  as  I  suppose  home  ; 
just  spoke  &  passed  them.  &  soon  reached 
Steward  Street.  Found  Uncle's  family  all 
pretty  well  except  Joe,  who  was  very  111  being 
in  great  pain,  his    parents    not   knowing  his 

*  Founded  1691-4.  Still  in  existence.  Peter  the  Great,  when  engaged 
in  learning  ship-building  at  Deptford,  is  said  to  have  attended  Deptford 
Meeting. — Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  lit  supra,  pp.  223,  224. 

f  Vide  illustration  facing  page  36. 


86 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

6  Mo.  [June.] 

Disorder.  Tarried  a  small  Time  &  returned  with 
M.  S.,  &  took  round  the  Road  back,  &  arrived 
about  supper  Time.    A  pleasant  afternoon. 

M.  .30.  A  line  Day.  Clogged*  to  Rett's  Street  by 
Brewing,  which  went  on  easy,  the  Men  done 
very  soon,  the  Zeal  of  going  to  a  Club  feast 
animated  them. 

7  Mo.  [July .1 

Tu.  1.  The  same  Work  to  Day  as  Yesterday,  with  the 
addition  of  the  Gatton  trade  in  the  Morng  & 
Cleansing  in  the  afternoon  ;  went  thro'  all  with 
Pleasure,  the  more  practice  the  more  perfect  & 
less  trouble.  This  afternoon  Delia  departed  to 
go  to  her  Quarters  in  the  Borough  to  be  ready 
for  the  Godahning  Coach  tomorrow  Morng. 
A  very  Wet  Day  in  the  Afternoon  especially, 
when  it  was  attended  with  Thunder  &  the 
Clouds  discharged  their  Contents  with  a  much 
greater  Rapidity,  finish  [edj  &  went  to  rest 
about  11. 

W.  2.  Set  off  the  Drays  this  Morng,  &  then  went  into 
the  City;  called  on  Uncle  Job's  to  hear  how 
Joe  was,  &  found  him  better,  then  returned 
home  after  I  had  been  to  the  Excise  Office  & 
paid  a  Malt  Bill  ;  in  ye  Afternoon  sent  for  old 
Harman,  &  with  his  Help  cleansed  all  the 
Guile,  which  seemed  in  good  order.  M.  S. 
came  to  lodge  to  Night;  after  supper  had  a 
playing  skermish  with  her  &  Constantia  in  the 
Counting   House,   where   they  were  come  to 

*  i.e.  unable  to  leave,  "  tied  by  the  leg." 


SARAH  ANGELL  FOX, 

NEE  ALLEN. 
Second  Daughter  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth  Allen. 
B.  l822. 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST 


89 


1777. 

7  Mo.  [July.] 

inspect  into  Secrets,  as  they  thought,  but  were 
disappointed  &  met  with  a  very  suitable  prize.* 


Th.  3.  Rose  at  6.  Was  surprised  at  opening  my 
Chamber  door,  as  a  Mop  was  set  against  it, 
which  fell  into  the  Room  on  opening  the  Door. 
Brewing  this  Day.  Went  thro'  it  easy.  An 
uncommon  call  for  the  Grains.  Late  to  Bed. 
The  Worts  cooling  slowly. 


F.  4.    Gatton  Morng,  a  pretty  good  run.    After  dinner 

uncle  Job  came  &  looked  upon  us.  Just  after 
he  was  gone  received  a  Letter  from  Father, 
whereby  we  were  informed  of  his  departure  from 
York  &  his  Arrival  again  at  Thorp, t  &  the  receipt 
of  our  Letters,  &c.  The  Day  concluded  well, 
very  rainy  &  the  Night  also. 

S.  5.    A  Rainy  Morn-.    Set  drays  off,  &  then  went 

to  the  Bankers  &  deposited  some  Money  there. 
Called  at  Spittalfields  to  acquaint  Uncle  of  the 
aforesaid  Letter  &  returned  home  to  dinner,  & 
chiefly  spent  the  remainder  of  the  Day  in  the 
Counting  House.    No  Wet  since  the  Morng. 


5.  6.    First  Day,  a  Cloudy  Morng.  Hammersmith^ 

*  i.e.  recompense. 

f  Thorpe  Salvin,  in  Yorkshire,  on  the  borders  of  Nottinghamshire, 
thirteen  miles  from  Sheffield  and  four  and  a  half  from  Worksop,  the  postal 
town.  It  contains  a  beautiful  church  with  fine  Xorman  work,  in  which 
William  Allen  and  his  forbears  were  baptised  ;  many  of  them  lie  buried  in 
the  churchyard. 

X  Built  T677,  united  to  Westminster  Meeting  in  1750.  Meetings  were 
occasionally  held  there  until  179S,  when  it  was  closed.  Reopened  in  1805, 
it  was  again  discontinued.  In  1S69,  though  remaining  the  property  of 
Friends,  it  was  used  as  a  Nonconformist  Chapel.  The  graveyard  was  closed 
three  years  earlier. —  Vide  London  Friends'  Meetings,  ut  supra,  pp.  261-264. 


1)1) 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST 


1777. 

7  Mo.  [July.] 

Meetg  happens  to  Day ;  intend  going,  having 
already  had  an  invitation  by  Aunt  Eliza  last 
Week  to  accompany  her  &  Jn°  Peers,  who  had 
hired  a  boat  to  go  by  water  ;  went  to  Lambeth, 
where  I  found  they  had  declined  going,  but  was 
resolved  not  to  do  the  same,  if  I  should  Walk  it 
alone.  Aunt  agreed  to  the  same,  so  went  off 
together  &  reached  the  Meetg  in  good  time, 
not  without  some  apprehensions  from  the  threats 
of  the  Element  [sic];  yet  were  much  favoured 
&  had  a  pleasant  Walk  thro'  the  Parks  & 
Kensington  Gardens.  Dined  at  Aunt  Clayton's, 
who[m]  we  found  well,  &  tarried  Tea  time,  & 
then  Departed,  returning  leisurely  to  our  homes 
&  parted  at  the  Queen's  Palace*;  met  with 
M.  S.  at  our  house,  who  had  been  to  Deptford 
Quarterly  Meetg  this  Afternoon,  Supped,  & 
then  went  to  rest,  but  first  Stept  into  Sister's 
Room  where  she  &  M.  S.  lodges  [sic],  Where 
I  hid  a  warlike  weapon  in  the  Bed,  &  fastened 
a  paper  to  it,  whereon  was  written  these 
words — 

Cease  from  those  ways  &  then  ye  shall  have  peace, 
And  never  more  provoke  Superior  Force. 

Pry  not  into  the  secrets  of  a  friend 

Least  [sic]  a  worse  consequence  may  be  yr  end. 

Retaliation  is  of  nature's  Laws, 

Most  do  embrace  it  when  they  have  just  cause. 

Another  seige  [sic] ,  if  e'er  ye  dare  engage, 

May  be  resisted  with  far  greater  rage. 

Repine  not  then  if  ye  receive  your  due, 

For  now  you  know  the  pay  that  will  ensue. 

*  Probably  Buckingham  Palace,  then  called  Buckingham  House,  which 
was  furnished  as  a  dower-house  for  the  Queens-Dowager  of  England,  in  lieu 
of  old  Somerset  House  turned  into  public  offices,  and  settled  on  Queen 
Charlotte  in  1775. 


CHARLES  HARRIS  ALLEN. 
Eldest  (surviving)  Son  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth  Allen. 
Grandson  of  John-  Allen. 

1S24 — T9°4- 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST 


!»r, 


1777. 

7  Mo.  [July.] 

(relating  to  a  Transaction  mentioned  of  them  in 
the  Ist  of  this  Month,  who,  as  a  Reward  for  the 
entertainment  I  gave  them,  set  a  mop  against 
my  Chamber  Door,  as  mentioned  in  the  2d). 
Did  not  lay  down  till  I  had  heard  the  results  of 
the  Scheme.  It  was  not  long  before  I  was 
called  to  take  it  away,  they  having  discovered  it 
in  getting  into  Bed.  Went  into  the  Room,  saw 
none  there,  as  the  lodgers  were  retreated  into 
the  Closet  undrest.  Took  the  scare  crow  out  of 
Bed  ;  but,  thinking  they  had  not  seen  the  paper, 
left  it  in  one  corner  of  the  Room,  where  they 
might  see  it  in  the  Morng,  &  left  them  to  the 
peaceable  possession  of  their  Nest,  not  a  little 
pleased,  thinking  it  a  just  recompense. 

M.  7.  Brewing  day,  which  went  on  easy  &  pleasant 
thro'  out.  At  breakfast  had  a  chearful  Alter- 
cation with  the  two  females  about  the  Scarecrow 
in  the  Bed.  After  breakfast  M.  S.  departed, 
after  which  applied  for  the  Instrument  of  last 
night's  diversion,  but  could  not  easily  obtain  it. 

Tu.  8.  Gatton  &  Brewing.  Much  hurried,  as  one  Man 
lay  sick  who  used  to  help  much  on  this  Morn". 
However  went  thro'  it  as  easy  as  could  be 
expected,  considering  the  work  to  be  done. 

W.  9.  The  Man  still  111,  a  laborious  day  for  me.  After 
supper  had  a  deal  of  play  with  the  females. 
Late  to  Rest. 


Th.      10.    Brewing  to  Day,  much  to  do,  being  still  short- 
handed,  yet  concluded  everything  well.  The 


LEAVES    FROM    THE  PAST. 


1777. 

7  Mo.  [Jul)-.] 

Weather  grows  warmer.  Late  e'er  any  of  the 
Worts  came  down. 

F.        ii.    Gatton  Morng.     The  man  rather  recovered; 

sent  him  with  Change  to  Spittalfields,  & 
tarried  at  home  myself  all  the  Day.  The 
Work  finished  tolerably  well. 

S.  12.  Rose  late;  set  the  drays  off.  After  breakfast 
went  &  deposited  some  Cash  with  the  Bankers ; 
returned  &  tarried  at  the  Counting  house  most 
of  the  Day. 

5.  13.  Fine  Day.  Went  to  Ratcliff  Meet-  in  Morn8, 
&  to  Wapping  in  the  Afternoon.  Came  home 
to  Tea,  where  I  met  with  W.  Nash  &  Wife, 
whom  Constantia  had  invited  to  tea  from 
Ratcliff  Meet-,  together  with  A.  Robinson, 
Sister  to  Sam1  Robinson  of  Shadwell,  who  has 
lately  arrived  from  Newcastle  on  a  visit  to  her 
foresaid  Brother  &  Jane  Burnham.  Sometime 
after  Tea  they  all  departed,  when  it  was  my 
Business  to  conduct  A.  R.  to  her  Quarters. 
Walked  round  Stepney  fields  home,  it  being  a 
pleasant  Eveng. 


Finis. 


J.  W.  Arrowsmith,  Printer,  Quay  Street,  Bristol. 


APPENDIX. 


I. 

Account  of  the  death  of  John  Allen,  written  by  Elizabeth 
Harris,*  who  subsequently  married  his  elder  son  Charles. 

[John  Allen  died  of  disease  of  the  kidneys,  March  20th. 
1808.    Vide  "Family  Records,"  pp.  16,  17.] 

Ratcliff.  3rd  ™  22nd  1808. 

Little  did  I  think  when  I  took  leave  of  my  dear  cousins 
yesterday  that  I  should  so  soon  have  to  employ  my  pen  on 
so  affecting-  an  occasion  as  the  present.  On  our  arrival 
yesterday  evening  we  were  very  much  struck  by  the  unex- 
pected intelligence  of  the  decease  of  our  friend  J.  Allen,  who 
early  on  First  Day  [Sunday]  morning  suddenly  breathed  his 
last.  I  believe  thou  t  wast  informed  of  the  Doctors  on  last 
Sixth  Day  [Friday]  administering  a  fresh  and  very  powerful 
medicine,  which  on  Seventh  Day  [Saturday]  seemed  to 
produce  very  flattering  symptoms,  his  health  &c  being  so 
much  improved  that  it  was  judged  unnecessary  for  any  one 
to  sit  up  with  him  that  night,  but  how  sudden  was  the 
change  !  His  wife  who  slept  on  a  bed  in  the  same  room 
was  at  about  one  o'clock  alarmed  by  his  moaning  (as  he 
sometimes  did  at  first  waking),  &  immediately  got  up  and 
went  to  him,  inquiring  how  he  did,  to  which  he  replied  much 
as  usual,  when  he  endeavoured  to  raise  himself  upon  his 
knees,  suddenly  fell  in  her  arms,  and  before  his  family 
could  be  collected  expired,  although  she  had  rung  the  bell 
immediately  on  his  first  sinking.  Messengers  were  des- 
patched for  Harkness  &  S.  Marsh,  but  the  solemn  scene  was 
passed  long  before  they  arrived. 

*  *  *  ■  * 

The  funeral  X  is  intended  to  be  on  next  First  Day 
[Sunday] ,  which  I  believe  thou  wilt  wish  to  attend,  we 

*  1788— 1862. 

f  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  to  whom  the  letter  was  addressed.  It 
was  probably  written  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Kidd  {nee  Storrs),  wife  of  Richard 
Kidd,  of  Isleworth.  She  had  taught  Elizabeth  Harris  in  childhood,  and  was 
a  highly  esteemed  Minister  among  Friends. 

I  At  the  Friends'  burial-ground  adjoining  Ratcliff  Meeting-House. 


APPENDIX. 


shall  therefore  expect  and  hope  to  see  thee  on  Sixth  or 
Seventh  Day  [Friday  or  Saturday]  at  furthest  ;  wilt  thou  be 
kind  enough  to  inform  Uncle  and  Aunt,  as  they  would  also 
perhaps  like  to  be  there. 

I  have  sent  Caroline  up  with  a  note  to  A.  Knight  *  to 
enquire  how  she  left  our  deeply  afflicted  friends  last  evening; 
as  she  is  not  yet  returned,  I  must  wait  until  she  is  before  I 
proceed. — 

Caroline  is  just  come  in  &  has  brought  a  note  from  dear 
A.  K.,  which  informs  us  that  they  were  as  well  last  night  as 
could  be  expected — poor  E.  Allen  t  was  much  cast  down, 
though  his  lying  so  long  in  such  a  state  must,  as  A.  K.  says, 
have  blunted  the  edge  of  the  trial  in  some  degree,  &  his 
going  off  so  quickly  at  last  without  appearing  to  suffer  much 
must  be  consoling  to  them.  Hannah  J  says  she  never  saw 
him  look  so  sweetly  as  he  did  a  few  minutes  after  his  close. 

Not  having  either  time  or  inclination  to  enlarge  by 
commencing  any  fresh  subject  after  the  preceding  one,  I 
now  hasten  to  conclude  this  messenger  of  sad  tidings  & 
with  requesting  thee  to  distribute  our  love  amongst  our 
particulars  in  Isleworth,  &  accept  a  large  share  thyself,  I 
bid  thee  affectionately  farewell, 

Thine  sincerely, 

ELIZ™  HARRIS  junl 

A.  Knight  desires  her  love  to  thee. 

II. 

Copy  of  letter  addressed  to  Hannah  Allen,  care  of 
Jn°.  Allen,  New  Road  to  Ratcliff,  London,  by  Priscilla 
Knight,§  eldest  daughter  of  William  Knight  and  Priscilla 
Allen.    The  letter  bears  post-marks  "Two  Pence.  Post. 

*  John  Allen's  niece,  Ann  Knight,  (1786 — 1862). 
f  His  wife,  Elizabeth  Allen  (nee  Marsh),  (1754 — 1826). 
I  His  eldest  daughter,  Hannah  Allen,  (1783 — 1867). 
§  (1783— 1820.) 


APPENDIX. 


3 


Shoreditch,"    and    ki  Fe.    5,    1805."      Hannah    Allen  and 
Priscilla  Knight  were  first  cousins,  both  born  in  1783. 
[Punctuation  has  been  inserted  where  the  sense  required  it.] 

[No  address  or  date.~] 

I  expect  my  dear  H          will  be  surprized  at  seeing 

another  scrawl  from  me,  but  having  an  opportunity  of 
sending  it  part  of  the  way,  embraced  it,  if  they  come  too 
fast  tell  me.  Wm.*  desires  me  to  say  that  he  is  very 
anxious  for  a  letter,  and  wishes  thee  not  to  wait  for  a 
private  conveyance,  but  write  as  soon  as  possible  by  the 
post  ;  we  wish  thee  to  come  down,  he  say  [sic]  in  a  month's 
time  he  could  teach  thee  to  play  the  flagelet — it  may  plainlv 
be  seen  bv  my  last  what  a  desperate  scuffle  I  was  in  when 
it  went  off,  we  got  home  at  eight  and  before  I  could  disrobe 
myself  a  messenger  from  the  friend  who  convey' d  it  to 
London  came,  I  had  not  then  finished  the  answers  which 
are  in  it.  and  amidst  the  repeated  calls  of  my  mother  &c. 
it  was  finished  tho'  not  by  me.  I  had  not  time  to  read  it. 
I  often  think  of  our  adventures  and  the  dark  walk  from 

Broomfield  recalled  several  of  the  summer  ones — the  B  

friends  were  much  entertained  by  the  recital  of  our  Dunmow 
labours ;  the  wet  meeting,  the  shower  of  oats  from  the 
cottage  window,  the  fairing  &c.  &c.  afforded  mirth,  because 
lie  was  matched — Ann,  Maria,*}"  and  I  have  learnt  that  part 
of  a  certain  poem,  in  which  one  of  the  characters  says,  '  O, 

H  ,  thou  hast  cleft  my  heart  in  twain  !  '    I  personate  the 

youth,  and  Maria  the  ghost — but  alass  !  where  my  mother 
should  weep — she  laughs  and  her  stifled  titter  serves  for  sobs; 
I  hope  we  shall  mend  with  practice.  Hast  thou  read  the 
distrest  mother  ? 

Pray  say  how  my  answers  please,  and  point  out  their 
faults.  I  hope  for  a  letter  soon ;  and  I  send  thee  some 
questions  which  I  desire  thee  to  answer,  do  not  excuse 
thyself  by  saying  such  subjects  don't  interest  thee. 

*  Her  brother  (1785 — 1838). 
f  Her  sisters  (1786 — 1S62)  and  (1791 — 1870),  vide  "Family  Records," 
pp.  8-12. 


4 


APPENDIX. 


Ist.  Is  conscience  an  innate  principle  born  with  man, 
or  is  it  given  by  education  ? 

2nd.  Was  Adam  or  Eve  the  most  guilty  in  eating  the 
forbidden  apple  ? 

3rd.    Is  it  possible  for  a  man  not  to  fear  death  ? 

4th.    Why  are  there  no  tides  at  the  Naze  of  Norway  ? 

5th.  What  was  the  Roman  legion  and  by  whom 
instituted  ? 

6th.  What  causes  the  change  in  the  temperature  of 
the  air  while  the  wind  continues  at  the  same  point  ? 

I  suppose  it  will  not  be  long  before  my  father  is  in 
London ;  I  hope  to  have  answers  to  these  questions 
returned  by  him. 

Thee  well  know  what  a  cold-hearted  pack  some  of  the 
congregation  here  [?  Chelmsford]  are,  I  wish  every  day 
that  thee  lived  near  us — here  is  not  a  girl  who  will  improve 
our  mind  —  Hast  thou  seen  J.  F.  since  we  were  at 
Kenington  ?  I  ordered  a  pelese  the  day  after  I  came  home 
—  how  much  I  wanted  it  then !  We  have  not  had  the 
weather  much  colder — and  my  coat  was  too  heavy — We  have 
had  a  short  walk  this  afternoon,  mother  had  not  been  out 
for  a  week,  we  got  home  when  it  began  to  snow — I  was 
checkmated  by  Wm.  two  nights  past  in  the  same  foolish 
manner  that  I  always  have  been — it  is  very  provoking  that 
my  brains  will  not  stretch  to  a  game  of  chess  ;  I  am  really 
mortified  when  I  consider  what  the  human  mind  is  capable 
of,  and  find  that  my  reflective  powers  will  not  manage  32 
wooden  pegs — I  hear  E.  M.  has  been  with  you;  does  she 
know  this  famous  game  ?  Has  her  brother  suited  himself 
with  a  situation  ?  Send  me  some  questions,  I  need  improve- 
ment— time  flies  and  leaves  so  few  traces,  that  I  sigh  when  I 
cast  my  eye  backward — Adieu  !  it  is  growing  dusk. 

'  Nymph,  in  thy  orisons  be  all  my  sins  remember'd.' 

I  have  just  answered  a  flourish  of  the  bell,  and  can  only 
say  that  I  am  thy  afP 

PRISCILLA. 

Saturday  night. 


A0D2NDA    ET  CORRIGENDA. 


Slip  I.       For  "  Eaugharne  "  read  "  Langharne." 

After  William  Sturge  insert  "  ob.  1905." 

Slip  II.     After  William  Henry  Woodgate  insert  "  =  Julia  Hobbs, 

cir.  1864." 

Slip  III.    After  Stafford  Allen  for  "ob.  1899"  read  "  ob.  1889," 





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